


The Selection (RoyxEdward Edition)

by IReallyHateMyself



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: (because let's be honest that was bad), And also almost every other character, Ed is bottom ofc, Edward Elric Swears, Edward slowly falls for Roy, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Lots of Lust, Lots of romance, M/M, Mutual Pining, Roy pines for Ed, Slow Burn, also age gap, and no love triangle, even violence oof, expect with G A Y, it's like The Selection, lots of D R A M A, mature themes overall tbh, no beta we die like men, now including art! (see chapter index), so also hurt/comfort?, there is some angst, they're both idiots smh, whoo boy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-02
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:28:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 106,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22983283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IReallyHateMyself/pseuds/IReallyHateMyself
Summary: Edward is a Five, a caste that sits right at the poverty line and can only work in the artist and musician line of work. This wouldn't be a problem if his mom wasn't so sick, and in desperate need of real medicine; Real medicine that neither he nor Alphonse can afford.Then there's the Selection, an 'equalizer of the caste system', as it collects 36 candidates of males and females to fight over the hand of Roy Mustang, the prince of Amestris. The winner becomes royalty, in other words, a One. Edward wants no part in the prince's harem, even if it might serve a chance to let him finally afford the medicine Trisha needs, and he's determine to save enough money on his own. It's not like he has a chance of being chosen anyway... but it seems that the universe has other plans in store for him.Plans that include falling for a prince, fighting for the media's approval, and eliminating the competition through means of alliances, manipulation, and seduction.
Relationships: Edward Elric/Roy Mustang
Comments: 390
Kudos: 629





	1. The 36 Selected

**Author's Note:**

> So if you haven't picked up on it already, this is heavily based on 'The Selection' series! A lot of the general ideas from there will be used, but don't worry if you haven't read it before! I'll do my best to explain certain concepts as I go, and explain it bluntly in end notes.  
> Thanks!

“You did WHAT?!”

“Brother please!” Alphonse held up his hands in defense. “What’s the harm in entering?”

“The harm?! The harm is that I  _ didn’t _ want to be in that fucking Selection!” 

Edward was completing fuming. He had been nagged all week by his mother and brother to enter that damn contest ever since it was announced, and part of him was afraid this would happen. The Selection apparently was “a equalizer of the castes” and “an opportunity for the common people”, but that was complete bullshit. It was stupid and unnecessary and utterly indiginifying and Edward  _ refused _ to take part in some Prince’s harem. So to come home after a long day of work only to be told that Alphonse entered him without consent was the last thing he wanted to hear. He pointed a finger at his brother accusingly. 

“I cannot believe you’d  _ lie _ on a government form, just so you and mom could have your way!”

“But that’s not why-”

“Then why’d you even do it? Because you know as well as I do how pointless this shit is. There are millions of candidates, millions Alphonse!”

“It wouldn’t hurt to try!”

Edward threw his hands in the air. “For what?!”

“For mom, Edward!” Alphonse cried exasperatedly, “I know you think it’s stupid, but if there’s even the smallest chance…” He trailed off, suddenly meek, and Edward felt all of the fight inside of him drain away and replaced with guilt. 

It was hard to still be mad over that. 

After all, Alphonse was undeniably taking mom’s sickness the hardest, and he was almost overly paranoid in his efforts to never leave her side ever since the first time she collapsed. They couldn’t afford a doctor to figure out what was wrong, but so far she’s been well enough to continue working on most days. As winter approached, however, it was becoming worryingly clear that she was struggling more than usual, and that they needed more money to get some real medicine before it was too late. The Selection, if chosen for it, would definitely solve that problem, but it wasn’t a solution that Edward was willing to count on.

“You know I’d do anything for mom, Al.” Edward started softly, “I’ve been working gigs nonstop since then, you know that. I just don’t have the time to waste on such a slim chance.”

“That’s why I filled it out for you.”

Edward grimaced, not wanting to admit the sense it made from his brother’s view. He sighed. “Alright, whatever. Nothing’s going to happen though.” He warned. “You should’ve entered yourself if you wanted to do it so bad.”

“I’m not old enough to!” Alphonse huffed, frustrated as if they’ve had this conversation before; which they probably had. “They’re asking for anyone between 18 and 28 years old. I’m 17.” He reminded.

“Really? I thought you’re older.” 

“We’re a year apart!” 

Edward flinched. “Geez, I know, I know. I just don’t feel that young…” 

Alphonse’s annoyance visibly went limp and he nodded sympathetically. Ever since their dad left them for dead, both of the young boys had to grow up a lot quicker just to survive. They’d work with mom on her gigs and then learned how to do them by themselves so that they could take more jobs at the same time. But being in caste Five, a musician and artist, was a very unstable profession that paid little. The best they could do was get themselves booked to every party and dance in existence, and thankfully winter was full of holidays to help the process. It wouldn’t be enough though. 

It was never enough. 

“You know, that was pretty wrong of you to go behind my back though.”

Alphonse’s reply was a sheepish smile, the tension of their argument completely forgotten. “Yeah, I know. But you should’ve expected it. I mean you’re way too stubborn for your own good sometimes, so I had to take matters into my own hands.” He playfully jabbed his brother and laughed when Edward tried to swat his hand away.

“Ugh, you sound like mom.” 

“Who sounds like me?” 

Both of the boys turned from their spots in the kitchen to see Trisha coming out of her bedroom. “Mom, you’re up!” Alphonse beamed and ran to give her a gentle hug, shortly followed by Edward. 

It had been one of those evenings when she had to cancel a gig due to not feeling well and had to sleep it off instead, which wouldn’t be that bad if it wasn’t for the fact that it unaligned all of their schedules. Edward for instance hadn’t seen her for almost three days, a full day of bookings and late night party gigs resulting in coming home in the morning, when she was away, or extremely late, when she was asleep. Alphonse worked at all the same ones she did, plus extra so that she wouldn’t have to push herself, so he got to see her more, though not by much. 

“Was I mistaken, or were you two boys fighting?” She asked, pulling away from the hugs to face them was an acquisitive brow. Alphonse immediately melted and looked guilty, while Edward fixed him with a glare. “Why don’t you tell her what you did, Al?”

He gulped. Edward’s wrath was a fiery inferno that he could deal with, but Trisha’s was a cold iciness that somehow burned more. “I... entered him in the Selection.” He rushed, twiddling his hand in the other. Trisha smile dropped, but only twitched into a disbelieving guffaw. “Oh, that’s it?” She looked between them and noticed Edward’s look of betrayal. “Ah, well Alphonse that wasn’t right of you.” She quickly remedied, but there was no actual reprimand in her tone. Before the eldest blonde could inevitably complain, she patted his shoulder and brushed back one of his bangs endearingly. 

“I know you hate it, but I don’t know if I could forgive myself as a mother if I let you pass up this opportunity...” She embraced him for a second time. “You could become a Three, Edward, just by being chosen, for life... whether you win or not. You could be up there with the philosophers and authors and scientists. You’re so intelligent, just like your father.” She glanced at Alphonse. “Both of you, and you deserve to be doing those great things and not be stuck here callusing your fingers as a starving musician.” 

Edward only responded with the gruff mumble, unable to come up with a way to complain, but pulled away to offer his mother a weak smile. “Besides,” Trisha laughed, “You’re way too stubborn for your own good. I’m glad Alphonse did it.” 

At the mention of his deed, the younger brother perked up. “Ha!” He pointed and blew a raspberry childishly at Edward, who feigned the most dramatic expression of shock and offense he could muster. “You’re siding with Al?!” He accused, before promptly dropping the act and laughing along with the both of them. 

“You know what the funniest thing is though?” Edward asked, still grinning, “There’s no way I’m even getting picked. You’re both crazy.”

Alphonse rolled his eyes. “You’re so pessimistic, brother.”

“No I’m not! ‘Cause you know what? I’m actually happy being a Five.” His jesting tone bled into something more genuine by the end of his sentence, and he smiled full-heartedly this time when he looked at his mother. “As long as I have you both, I don’t need anything else.”

“Ah, I’m so lucky to have you boys.” Trisha lamented, holding her heart. “Now, when was the last time both of you boys had been home during a reasonable time for dinner?” She asked, stepping into the small kitchen. Both of the blondes gasped, deeply missing the luxury of homemade meals by their mother, and sat down excitedly. It was the first time in a long time, when the whole family was together and had the time to actually talk and connect. As dinner progressed, Edward felt immensely warm in his chest with happiness. He’d been working himself so hard lately that he almost forgot why he was doing it, and it was because of  _ this _ .

His brother acting like a kid and his mother tolerating their antics with an adoring, though tired, smile, gathered together on their small wooden table. Their talk of ridiculous fantasies of what it’d be like to be a Three. Laughing while eating their dry bread and carrot soup because they were making fun of the upper caste’s rigidness and pretending to be fancy gentlemen with six different sets of forks and spoons. His mother sending them to bed early to rest up and turning a purposeful blind eye when the brothers stayed up all night talking about theories they had that they’d actually want to publish if they ever had the chance. 

_ This _ was Edward’s everything.  _ This _ was what drove him to get up to another long day of strumming and getting only coins in a guitar case to bring home. To work hard enough to start saving money for mother’s medicine, to stay up at those long parties of the rich to play piano until his fingers bled, to learn a new piece almost everyday to offer for gigs. 

It was all for his family. Nothing could separate them or break this routine he created. Nothing could hinder his plans or stop him from reaching his goals. Ha, he’d like to see the universe try.

It wasn’t long until Edward regretted testing that fate. 

\----

It was a week later when the results of the Selection were about to be announced. The whole country of Amestris was abuzz with talk and excitement to see who would soon be possible suitors to the Prince, and Edward unfortunately found himself out of work because of it.

“You’d think there would be tons of ‘reveal’ parties to play for right now, but I guess not.” He snorted, throwing his satchel on the table. Alphonse was amused. “You mean those parties Twos throw because they’re so positive they’re going to be chosen? You’d really rather be there with those narcissistic snobs than here at home to watch it with us?”

Edward rolled his eyes. “I’d rather be anywhere or be doing anything than sitting down to watch this shit.” He sat down next to his brother in front of the TV anyway, mostly because he didn’t have much of a choice. At the moment, it was playing normal news, but there was a clear timer in the corner showing the Selection results would be announced in less than five minutes. Edward clicked his tongue and with disdain as he realized that almost everyone must be watching this right now instead of working. Sure enough, when he glanced out of the window, the streets were uncharacteristically empty despite the perfect fall afternoon. 

“Has it started?” Trisha asked, emerging from the kitchen with a warm mug of tea in her hands. “No, it’s about it though.” Quipped Alphonse, scooting over to make space on the small couch for his mother. She took the seat gratefully and tightened the shawl around her as she shuddered from an invisible chill. “Are you cold?” 

“No, I’m alright, Edward. Thank you.” 

He and Alphonse shared a brief look, but soon a flash on the TV got all of their attention. 

**_“Helloooo Amestris!!!”_ **

A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties graced the screen with a show of flare. His white suit was vertically striped with black, an interesting but bold fashion choice, and he wore a red rose that matched his short hair and goatee. Edward vaguely recalled he was a reality star, and was surprised to notice that this has been the same announcer for Central since Al was a kid. This man did  _ not _ age a bit. 

**_“Central Report proudly presents: The Selection!!!”_ **

Loud as hell cheering came from the live audience. The camera zoomed out of the flamboyant man and revealed a cozy set-up with two deep seated arm chairs facing each other, similar to a late night talk show. He strode to the right of the stage and gestured to the first empty chair.

**_“Please welcome, your Sun of Amestris, Prince Roy Mustang!”_ **

Somehow possible, the cheering got even louder and female shrieks pierced Edward’s ears. A young looking man soon emerged from the side, waving and smiling charmingly. Perfectly poised and trained. Ugh, royalty. Alphonse excitedly nudged Edward’s shoulder, to which he rolled his eyes. This was why he hated this crap. Mustang was definitely some pompous, spoiled bastard that probably didn’t work a single day in his life. Yet there he was, acting all smug and being praised for doing nothing. Thankfully, before the cheering could get on Edward’s nerves, the host gently shushed the live audience and took his seat opposite of the prince.

**_“How are you doing today, your highness?”_ **

**_“Good, good. Thank you, Alex. Yourself?”_ **

He scoffed and waved his hands. 

**_“Oh, me? Why I am absolutely thrilled that I have the honor to host my prince’s love story! After all, by the end of the Selection, you’re going to be married!”_ **

There was a collective swoon from the audience, clearly in agreement.

**_“Ah, of course. My parents are quite happy with it as well.”_ **

**_“Clearly! What took you so long to get around to wanting to find a partner, your highness? I mean, you’re nearly an old, wise politician at the age of twenty-eight!”_ **

The audience laughed at the jest and the prince made a face obviously for show before laughing a bit himself. Edward pivoted. “Wait, he’s  _ twenty-eight _ ?” Alphonse, with eyes still on the screen, only nodded. “And the Selection was asking for  _ eighteen _ year olds?” 

“Eighteen to twenty-eight year olds, yes. Now hush.” Alphonse rushed, clearly finding this information common knowledge. Well it wasn’t for Edward. He knew hardly anything about the royal family, he never had the time (nor care) to keep up with the Central Report, and a nearly thirty year old prince was the last thing he expected. “That’s practically pedofilia for the Selection to go ten years younger!” He quietly seethed. Alphonse only shushed him again and Trisha giggled. It was with great reluctance to let the subject drop that Edward turned back around. So everyone was fine with this? Great. 

**_“I thought you’d bring that up.”_ **

The prince let out another small polite laugh.

**_“Yes, I’m quite ancient at this point, though I figured this was a good time as any to find someone to settle down with. I’m finally at a point where I am now able to balance enough time for my future spouse and give them all of the attention they deserve.”_ **

There was another chorus of ‘aw’s’, and the host, who Edward now knew was Alex, nodded in understanding. 

**_“That’s wonderful, your highness! I’m glad you’re taking advantage of our country’s prosperity and that you weren’t forced to rush like our past rulers.”_ **

The camera zoomed in on him, and he faced the audience in an obvious segway.

**_“As you know, The Selection was created to give all of the people of Amestris, no matter the caste, a chance to be royalty! A One! This created peace in our country during a time when the lower castes were rebelling, and now the Selection is known as an event that unites everyone! Also, about a century ago, laws were changed to make it that producing an heir was no longer necessary, as the royal family is large enough to always have a cousin or nephew in spare to rule! Therefore, this is the fourth Selection that has female AND male candidates!”_ **

There was more cheering at the brief retelling of history, and the camera zoomed out again to show the scene. The prince was still nodding along, and he sent a wink to the camera while Alex took a moment to, once again, quiet the audience. Edward snorted. This whole thing is bullshit. 

**_“I’m honored to continue the tradition. It’s pleasant as well that I happen to easily appreciate,”_ ** He paused,  **_“both of the human sexes.”_ **

**_“Ah, you must be very excited then. I’m sure your father chose the most dashing young lads and ladies for you to choose from!”_ **

The prince laughed at Alex’s excitement, and leaned back in his seat, completely at ease. **_“Why don’t we begin then? I’m sure all of Amestris is dying to know who the 36 lucky candidates are.”_ **

Alex practically jumped when he stood from his seat.  **_“Of course! Let’s not delay any longer!”_ **

He grinned to the camera while the audience cheered wildly. WIthout moving or even glancing the other way, he took a pile of envelopes that a rushing assistant handed him, and proceeded to walk forward to a podium that was previously hidden from view. Edward hated to admit it, but there was a small part of him that was becoming… nervous? Psh, that didn’t make sense. There was no way that he managed to be chosen. The entire court and King himself evaluated those entries and determined who would  _ make _ a good spouse to a ruler. You had to be talented, accomplished, good looking, and well raised. Despite all the preach of being inclusive, this caused mostly Fours and above became candidates. Fives and below be damned. Every time. 

The TV set-up shifted, showing a large box on one side and two smaller stacked boxes on the other. The bottom mini screen showed Alex at the podium, about to announce the selected, and the one above was a close up of the Prince’s face. A live feed would be playing in front of him, so it was undoubtedly to catch his reactions. The main section was clearly for the photo they would show of the candidate, as the people would want to immediately start bets on who would win the prince’s heart on looks alone. But, that reminded Edward of something. He turned around again to make eye-contact with Alphonse.

“Wait, what photo did you send with my application?”

His brother raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t tell you?”

“You didn’t”

“Huh,” he tapped his chin, “It was the one I took of you when you were cooking with mom.” 

Edward felt his eyebrows scrunch. “Which is that one?”

“Here.” he replied smoothly, fishing the photo from his pocket out of nowhere. Edward took it fast and stared down at it with skepticism. How good could he look while he was cooking? He was terrible at it and would undoubtedly be dirty with stains. Instead, he found himself suddenly surprised as he looked at the image; he knew Al had the best photography skills in the family, but damn this was something else entirely.

He had captured the moment right when Edward must’ve finished laughing, an easy smile on his lips, and he was still looking at Trisha with eyes full of love and adoration. It was strange, kind of, seeing himself look so happy and..uh sweet? The expression felt foreign, but it made him actually look approachable (for once). His sleeves were rolled up as he kneaded dough, but he still wore a nice, and surprisingly unsoiled, dress shirt as if barely coming home from a gig. To add to the captured moment, the light was dramatically filtering in from the front, making his hair shine, the ponytail elegantly falling over his shoulder, and making his face absolutely glow. Edward was stunned. 

“Wow, Al. This is actually really good." 

"I know, right?" He yanked the photo back, already cautious of his brother's habit to throw away pictures that had himself in it. "You didn't think I'd let you look like an idiot when I applied you for the Selection, did you?" Alphonse lightly accused.

"Well, I was kind of hoping you would just so I would never have a chance." Edward joked, earning a jab to his side. "You're impossible, brother. Now shut up, it's starting."

Edward huffed but obliged, no longer anxious. Relief settled in his chest as he realized how dramatic he had been over this whole Selection thing. There was really no way he could be picked, and his worrying was unfound. Names of strangers would be called and flash on the screen, and that'll be the end of it. Then Edward could go back to doing gigs and saving up for mom's medicine. He was already looking forward to getting back to his life, and so he watched impatiently as Alex cleared his throat. 

**"As you all know, all of these candidates have been hand chosen by the council and King to ensure the best suitors for our Prince. The following named have been deemed worthy by standards of talent, skill, and citizenship."**

There was more cheering and Edward could barely keep from rolling his eyes again from the spouting of bullshit. More like standards of wealth, influence, and obedience to the crown. 

**"And now, here are the Selection's 36 candidates..."**

He was now speaking lower, his tone turned serious, and there was a hush among the crowd. Even the prince, who was acting laid back just moments before, shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Alex painstakingly tore open the first envelope and unfolded the letter.

**“Lust Homunculus from Ishval District; Two.”**

There was cheering as a picture of a pretty noirette woman filled the screen. She had long wavy hair and was posed in a seductive manner that showed off her ample cleavage. Of course she was a Two, Edward vaguely recalled her family name being from the most successful line of models. 

Typical.

**“Riza Hawkeye from Central District; Three.”**

A blonde woman now took the screen, her expression dutiful. Her posture and uniform clearly indicated her as a military official, and she was no doubt a strong appeal in politics. Edward would’ve been surprised if they  _ didn’t _ select an obligatory veteren. 

**“Ling Yao from Xing District; Two.”**

A nobleman’s image now showed. He looked young, but regal in an embellished yellow robe. Edward had to roll his eyes at the sight; he’d never understand the sense of fashion the rich had. 

**“Jean Havoc from Eastern District; Three.”**

Another one in uniform. This man however lacked the professionalism that the previous three had, instead his photo having him lounging on a seat while shooting the camera a lopsided grin. The audience was enamored anyway.

**“Greed Chimera from Central District; Two.”**

**“Olivier Mira Armstrong from North Ridge District; Two.”**

Edward impatiently glanced toward the clock on the wall while the image of a man, who somehow managed to be more seductive than the first lady, posed. The picture changed to another blonde woman in uniform flash across the screen. It was always the same type of people, over and over. Seductive for the masses, politically engaged for the crown, or rich and privileged for the prince.

This whole thing was bullshit. As he expected, the ‘inclusive’ Selection only was having overly attractive people who were nothing less than Threes, most Twos. Edward spared a quick glance at the prince in the upper corner box. This entire time, he hadn't really reacted to anyone, the most being a raise of the eyebrows and a slight nod in acknowledgment. Though who could be surprised, really? It was obvious from the start what type of people would be chosen. Hardly any Fours, never a Five or below. 

As if the universe heard his complaints, the next selected appeared

**“Rose Thomas from Liore District; Five.”**

It was a girl, brown hair that almost looked a shade of pink in the sunlight, looking modest and quaint as she wore a simple white dress by a tree. Edward had the decency to not hide his pleasant surprise. He would be lying if he said that the Selection didn’t hold an undeniable amount of power for someone Five or below if they actually won. After all, these were the people who actually know what’s wrong with the country, so a voice in government and influence in laws could maybe change things for once. Edward wasn’t going to get his hopes up though. 

Low caste selected were usually disqualified within the first weeks. It was as if they were only chosen to appease the lower castes and not given a chance to actually compete or win to make a difference. He was going to hope she’d win anyway though. 

**“Solf Kimblee from Central District; Two.”**

Edward’s small smile went as soon as it came, replaced by his signature ‘I’m done with this’ frown again. Whoopdedoo; Another rich person that didn’t know what it was like to really  _ work _ a day in their lives. His crisp white suit and hat made him look like some playboy at a dance party; ew. 

**“Maria Ross from Eastern District; Three.”**

She didn’t look so bad, for a three. Edward was finding it harder and harder to really care much more than that, however, to continue trying to gauge the next few flashes on the t.v., only bothering to keep looking because the next couple were surprisingly a slew of Fours. 

**“Russell Tringham from South District; Four.”**

**“Lyra Dante from Central District; Four.”**

**“Winry Rockbell from Rushville District; Four.”**

**“Paninya Automail from Rushville District; Four.”**

It wasn’t with much surprise to Edward as the rest after went back to being Twos and Threes, so he checked out with compliance as the rest of the 36 selected were announced. He only kept his ears peeled for another Five, as they usually had an obligatory two, but so far that Rose girl seemed to be the only one.

Fucktastic.

“How many is this now?” He groused, feeling a headache coming on as he began to stress over how paychecks he was forced to miss because of this. This dumb list felt like it was going on forever; talk about some harem. 

“Shush!” Alphonse chided, “The thirty-fifth. They have one last person to announce!”

“Oh Al, please. As if there’s still a  _ remote _ chance that-”

**“Edward Elric from Resembool District; Five.”**

“Wha-?!”  
Edward froze and snapped his head up, in delief. His picture was actually on the screen: Him smiling charmingly towards off camera and looking practically golden in the lighting. It was with dismay he glanced to the other box on screen and noticed the prince’s expression twitch. Edward didn’t even have the time to dwell on whatever that meant as realization was seeping into his bones. 

He was actually fucken selected. The back of his mind registered being nearly knocked over by Alphonse, who was screaming in his ear and cheering. Edward couldn’t hear it. He was frozen in complete and utter shock, eyes wide and jaw slacked.

“No…” He muttered, mostly to himself. “There is no fucking way-”

“Brother!” Alphonse tugged his shoulder roughly, getting his attention. “See! See! I told you that you could do it! I knew it! I knew it!”

Edward was at a loss for words, looking between his ecstatic brother and crying mother incredulously. Before he could have another moment to process anything, there was a loud knocking at the door.

“I’ll get it!” Alphonse jumped, leaving the two of them alone.

“Mom…?” Edward croaked, suddenly overwhelmed with another emotion besides shock. “Why are you crying?”

Trisha looked up from the tissue she had been sniffling into, regarding her eldest son almost broken-heartedly. “Oh, Edward. I’m just so happy for you. You won’t have to work yourself to near death anymore ever again.”

She ducked her head again to dab her eyes, while the blond felt himself becoming more and more guilty. Trisha knew she was dying, they all did, and Edward and Alphonse were doing their best to save enough money to get medicine to stop it. He knew his little brother was hurting, and he knew the pain residing in his own heart very well that came from the idea of losing their mother. But what about her? Edward grimaced she let out another sob in her tissue. Their mother was nothing but loving and selfless. He couldn’t imagine the pain she felt as a mother forced to consider she might leave her children all alone. Forced to watch her sons work tirelessly and forced to bear the thought that they’d have to do that for the rest of their lives, regardless if she was still around or not. 

“I’m sorry, mom.” Edward whispered, finally moving to the couch so he could console her. “I was being selfish.”

“Edward!” Alphonse called, getting his attention towards the door. Tears were welling from his eyes as well, but were paired with a beaming grin. At the entrance behind him were three people that wore matching crisp blue uniforms, special gold embroidered patches on the front; They work for the crown. The one in front was a man with a clipboard, and he approached Edward dutifully while adjusting his glasses.

“Elric, Edward?”

The blond stood and nodded slowly. “Yes?-”

He took out a pen and clicked it. “We’re here to explain to you the in depth rules and regulations of being Selected, as well as prepare you for life in the castle.”

Edward felt his mouth go dry. “Well that’s a bit fast, don’t you think?- Hey!” He flinched, feeling scandalized as one of the crown workers began to measure his waist with a tape. 

“Please,” The one with glasses continued, “We don’t have a lot of time. You and the other 36 will be departing by tomorrow morning in an organised event, which will be televised across the entire country, by the way.”

Edward felt his stomach growing sick. This was happening too fast; this was too much. A large part of him was still in plenty of denial over the whole thing, while his mother only looked on with her hands clasped excitedly and Alphonse practically jumping at his side. Nothing was ever going to be the same again, was it? The man with glasses suddenly smiled, but it was completely cold and fake.

“Congratulations on being chosen for the Selection.”

Fuck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for the districts, I kind of gave up and researching where every character came from and made a lot of stuff up, so please don't take it too seriously! Even though the country is called Amestris, it's VERY different from the Amestris that we all know. Also, please take Ed's 'pedo' comment with a grain of salt, as I know many adults 10 years apart that really are truly in love, so it wasn't meant to offend! He's just looking for any excuse to hate Roy ;) Also, the only reason I lowered there age gap from 16 years is just because it makes more sense plot wise. I didn't want the prince to be terribly old or for Edward to be a minor for the Selection!  
> For those Selected, I used both brotherhood and 2003 characters, so don't be alarmed if you don't know who someone is if you haven't watched both! If you want to know what they look like, however, feel free to google them! ^^  
> And ah yes, there will be a few random OCs, such as the reality star Alex and 'Man with glasses' lol. I will do this a lot for minor characters, so there's no need to worry to much about them:3  
> Lastly, just for some clarification, Ones are royalty, Twos are celebrities, Threes are great minds, Fours are farmers, Fives are performers, Sixes are workers, and Sevens are labor workers. :) Eights will be mentioned in the next chapter!  
> I hope you will enjoy this fanfic!


	2. Garden Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Can you just promise me you’ll try?”  
> “Huh?”  
> “Actually try to see if you can love him. The prince.” Alphonse clarified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof spoiler alert I'm slow at updates, I'm sorry! ;-;   
> On the plus side, I promise each chapter is at least 10 pages! This one is 12 ;)  
> And just a disclaimer, I am heavily basing a few main plot points on this from The Selection series, but only while we're in the beginning! So if you've read those books, rest assured that this story will turn out very different. Also, although I've read the entire series twice, I haven't read it recently, so my memory of events are foggy. I'm mentioning this so that you all know that if I fail to make a proper reference to the original or switch something up, that's why ^^ Also, it's because I'm trying to keep this story with as little influence as possible despite the inspiration! Thank you~

Any sliver of guilt towards his mother or happiness for the chance to help his family financially Edward had about being Selected was completely gone now. Now he just felt sick.

He sat at the kitchen table, unable to keep his hands from shaking slightly as he signed multiple forms that were essentially relinquishing his human rights. The man with glasses sat across from him and was explaining protocols, while the other two that had came with him proceeded to pack everything from Edward’s room (after they had finished taking his measurements for clothing and getting a list of his food allergies, that is). 

“Elric.” The man looked irritated as his eyes left his clipboard. “Are you listening?”

“Uh, yeah, yeah…” Edward nodded, the small action already getting him a little light headed.

“What are the first conditions, then?”

“I will only get paid monthly as long as I’m not disqualified, I must allow Central Report to document me at any given time, I can only contact my family through letters that have been approved, and I must follow any castle rules, including curfews, meal times, and Selection events appearances, while I live there.” He recited perfectly.

The man adjusted his glasses with raised eyebrows, not bothering to hide his astonishment.

“Yes, that’s exactly correct. Moving on now to the conditions involving the prince…” He took a moment to regard his papers, “While you are in the Selection… You are not allowed to have any romantic affiliation with any one besides the prince, caught doing so is considered treason and will, not only get you disqualified, but have you publicly whipped, denounced to an Eight, and exiled.”

Edward suddenly tensed and gulped. That’s harsh, no, that was downright cruel. Being a Five had its trifles, sure, but an Eight was on a whole other level. The homeless and madmen on the streets were the only Eights, and they didn't even have a caste profession while even Sevens were able to have jobs of manual labor. 

“Additionally, you must acknowledge that the prince has the right to disqualify you at any given moment, for any given reason. Nothing in this competition is ever guaranteed, and this includes your privilege of being involved. Lastly…” He looked up at Edward with complete seriousness, his tone becoming stone cold in its command. 

“You are not, in any circumstances, allowed to  _ ever _ deny the prince.”

Edward felt a chill travel down his spine, his eyes going wide. “You don’t mean…”

“I do.”

“That’s-” He was at a loss for words. “Wait, wait… I just want to get this clear. So the prince can force me to… uh,  _ do _ things?” He finished, at lack of a better word.

The man looked exasperated. “Yes. Anything else you don’t understand?”

“Oh…” 

Edward felt the tiniest inkling of anxiety settle in his stomach, and he glanced almost helplessly at Trisha. She hadn’t noticed or overheard a thing, as she was busy asking one of the crown workers about what Edward’s new living arrangement would be while Alphonse was excitedly helping the other worker pack by pointing out which things were his brother’s from their shared room. He knew the Selection was pretty bad behind the scenes, but this was on a whole other level that even he hadn’t expected. Probably noticing that look of rising panic, the man scoffed and stood.

“May I politely remind you, you applied for this voluntarily.”

“Actually, I-”

Edward bit his tongue, remembering that his brother signing up for him was kinda illegal. “Didn’t really want to…” He said instead, watching with dread as the man simply collected all the papers that he signed, putting them in a folder.

Edward briefly wondered if they’d let him burn it.

“In any case, this is going to be your life now, so I highly recommend embracing its changes rather than fighting it.” 

“R-right..” Was all he replied, a tingling sensation enveloping his chest. Numbness. Yes, that’s what it was. 

Edward was still in too much shock to really argue against anything at the moment, and another glance at his mother and brother had his resolve crumbling. He’d have to do this. For them. They’d get paid by tomorrow the first check of $3,000 for the month, which was a lot for his family; their combined gigs got them a whooping $2,000 a month, if lucky. Edward didn’t think he’d last that long in the competition, though… On top of not even remotely being interested in the prince’s hand, Fives are notorious for being some of the first candidates to be disqualified, and he highly doubted that he had any good chance. He’d use his new classification as a Three to become a professor, and sell books of studies and theories to make enough money to keep sending his family financial aid. If he had to, he’d marry up a caste with a decent Two. After all, any Selected were instantly labeled as a sought out bachelor or bachelorette, many easily getting picked up by a rich Two right after getting disqualified. Yes, that’s what he’d do. He’d figure out how to keep to his personal promise to provide for his mom and buy her medicine, even if it took selling his own wants away.

He already signed papers giving his soul away, practically. What could be worse?

The three crown men now assembled at the doorway as they finished up, and the man with glasses turned to him for the last time. 

“A limo will pick you up in the morning at 9:00 am. Your first custom suit will be in there for you to change. You are permitted to let your family ride with you, but after you get to your town’s square, you must say your goodbyes. Someone there will give you your further instructions, which won’t be much more than waving to the crowd and cameras before departing in a personal jet.”

“Got it.” Edward tried his best to muster a ‘I’m totally not afraid at all’ smile.

“Thank you for all your help in this process.” Trisha beamed, coming to her son’s side to pat his shoulder.

“Of course. We’ll be going now.”

“Bye!” Alphonse waved, watching them for a moment as they left the house after leading them out. He came back in and shut the door slowly, but pivoted in a rush of wind to attack his brother with a hug.

“You’re gonna get married!~” He sang in a teasing voice, laughing as Edward pushed him off.

“I am not going to marry that pompous bastard prince!”

“You will if you  _ win _ .”

“I will not!” He defended, getting red despite himself. Trisha only giggled into her hand. “Mom!” He admonished, feeling ganged up on. “You two cannot seriously think that I would want that, right?”

“Of course, honey.” She consoled, but the mirth in her smile didn’t leave. Her and Alphonse shared a suggestive look that had Edward hiding his face.

“I hate you two.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Alphonse jested, jabbing his arm. Edward turned to make some wry retort, when he suddenly froze, alarmed as his brother’s teasing expression suddenly melted into a withering sob-face. Tears overwhelmed and fell from his eyes and he let out an uncensored wail akin to a 5-year-old’s.

“Alphonse?! What’s wrong?”

“Brother!” He cried, flinging himself on him in another hug. “I’m going to miss you so much!”

“Aw, Al… C’mon, I won’t be there long.”

“You better not get yourself disqualified on purpose!” He accused, looking up to fix him with his best glare. It was hard to be intimidated by such a sopping heap.

Edward choked out a meek laugh. “Fine, fine. I promise.”

Trisha smiled and joined the two, embracing both in a warm hug. That was the breaking point for Alphonse, it seemed, as he broke into hysterical sobs once again, shoving his head into the space between his brother’s neck and shoulder. Edward could only feel his heart painfully twist at their shows of affection and his face contorted into the sort that usually came with tears, but he couldn’t bring himself to actually cry.

Whether from still reeling from too much shock and disbelief, or from his recent bout of numbness, he couldn’t tell, but he  _ was _ able to tell that there was a distinct emotion beginning to swell; Determination. He was going to do this, he repeated to himself. 

He was going to do this  _ for them _ .

After all, the Universe wasn’t going to uproot him this easy.

\---

Edward discovered three things about himself as soon as he stepped out of the limo. Number one, he hates crowds. Two, he hates cameras. And three, he absolutely despises the Selection. Well, maybe he already knew the third one, but still. It was utterly ridiculous how many people were practically screaming in his ears as he emerged, and he felt like he wasn’t allowed to scowl with all the lights and cameras in his face. 

“This way, sir.” A lady directed, the only person not outside the ropes of velvet that kept the throngs at bay besides the line of security guards. He followed the short distance to the small stage that had been assembled in the usually empty town square. Trisha and Alphonse were directed to a special front row of the crowd where Edward caught a glimpse of a few other obvious mothers and little siblings of the other Selected. 

“You’re the last one to arrive, so all you have to do is stand on the stage with those three for a bit and wave at the crowd. Once the cameras have enough footage, the jet plane’s door will be opened, and you all can go inside. From there, it’ll be a six hour flight to central where you’ll meet up with the rest of the Selected at the castle. Questions?”

“Uh, no. Thanks.” He nodded absently, more preoccupied looking at ‘those three’ she referred to on the stage from where he stood. There were no Selected from the Resembool district like he was, so they probably paired his jet with Selected from the close neighboring districts Liore and the South District, as to not waste an entire plane. He recognized the Rose girl that was also a Five, but the blond man next to her with the left-parted curtained hair he failed to remember the name, and the brunette girl with glasses he didn’t recognize at all. She must’ve shown up after he clocked out the Selection announcement. Edward tried to not think so hard as the subconscious panic began to rise that he would be stuck with these strangers for the next six hours. 

“Alright.. This is it.” He breathed, looking at Trisha and Alphonse with a withering smile.

They had mostly said their goodbyes that rest of the night at home, but it was still painful to be finally parting. Trisha was already dabbing her eyes with a tissue she brought, but Alphonse had nothing but excitement, having already cried everything out perhaps. “I love you, Edward.” She hugged him tightly, and even Edward felt himself actually tearing up as he breathed in her familiar scent for the last time. Her long hair was warm, and surprisingly he found himself the one to be still clinging on when she had already pulled away from him.

“I’ll be fine.” He said, though it felt more like he was convincing himself rather than his mom. “I love you too.”

He reluctantly let go and tried to not let her endeared expression make him falter, turning to Alphonse instead.

“Bye, Al. I love you.” He caught him in a firm hug and laughed when his brother over dramatically patted his back a few times. “Love you.” He pulled away, and his excited expression actually sobered up a bit as they made eye contact.

“Can you just promise me you’ll try?”

“Huh?”

“Actually try to see if you can love him. The prince.” He clarified.

“Al… you know-”

“Yes, yes, you’ve said it a hundred times. You have no interest in the guy.. But still! You just… you never know, okay? You deserve to have a chance to fall in love, and maybe, just maybe, he could be it.”

Edward scoffed, but couldn’t help but smile from his brother’s sweet intentions. “Fine. I’ll try. But if he’s a conceited bastard like I think he is, I’m coming home by tomorrow night.”

Al laughed and punched his shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. See you later.”

Edward’s felt his smile go soft again, and walked a few steps away only to glance back disheartenedly. He was aching to already go home with them, but he made himself promise. He’ll try for mom, to stay long enough to get her enough money for medicine. He’ll try for Alphonse, even if that meant trying to fall in love with a spoiled prince like Roy. But, nevertheless, he’ll  _ try _ goddammit. 

He walked up the small steps, where he was instantly greeted by the sound of cheering. He only glanced to his side for a second to regard the other three Selected, but they seemed to be promptly ignoring his arrival and were waving to the large crowd instead.    
Right. He has to wave. Edward put on his best smile, which felt more like a grimace, and waved, making sure to angle himself towards the cameras. He didn’t want to have to do this for longer than he had too. 

He saw a few posters in the sea of people, and his eye instantly caught on one that said ‘We love our Fives!’. That was an actual pleasant surprise, but the logical side of Edward’s brain knew that it was only because they were a group of lower caste districts. Had he been in East or Central, he was certain it’d be filled with Twos sneering and booing, as they believed they should’ve been chosen instead of some ‘undeserving’ lower castes. For now though, the blond mentally chided himself to try to stay positive and to appreciate the gesture.

He looked to his mother and brother one last time, and almost let out a genuine laugh as Alphonse made a dramatic silly face. Oh, how he loved them more than anything. Even now, they were helping him get through this torturous wave session. Thankfully, before he could start to break a nervous sweat, the jet’s door opened, a small ramp behind them attaching it to the stage, and he proceeded to follow the others as they stopped waving and walked inside in single file. There were choruses of ‘byes’ and encouragement as they left, and Edward had to steel himself to keep from turning around and running.

God, he hated this already.

They shuffled along inside, and Edward was able to let out a sigh of relief as he regarded his foriegn surroundings. It was a small but cozy cabin, and he literally found it hard to complain because he never thought he'd have a chance to fly before. It could've been a cargo box for all he cared. His apprehension was slowly starting to subside as he saw that everyone had their own seat a good distance away, two rows of two large plush leather seats separated by a wide aisle. The two Selected he didn't know well had already taken the front row, so he was more than content to take the back chair next to Rose. Before he had the chance to overthink on whether or not he should start a conversation, she smiled at him and initiated it for him.

"Hi." She whispered, but she didn't sound hesitant in the slightest, only kind. 

Edward leaned over the aisle using the wide armrest to be able to keep the same volume as he whispered a greeting back. "Hey. You're the other Five, right?"

"Mh-hm," she nodded. "I'm actually really glad I found you already, because I was worried about being alone with so many upper castes."

"I get what you mean. It helps to not be the only Five.”

“Yeah.” She agreed, giggling.

Part of Edward didn’t know why he was so uncharacteristically bent on talking to this woman, especially since most situations have him otherwise anti-social, but he reasoned it was better to secure at least one friend before this shit show started. In fact, Alphonse had joked the night before that this would be a good experience for the blond to finally make a friend besides his own brother, to which Edward had replied with an undignified snort of denial. 

Though sometimes his brother had good points…

Edward never really had the need for friends growing up, because he had Al. Even when they went to school, he was more than content with a nose shoved in a book rather than playing outside with the other kids. Alphonse obviously preferred the latter, but Edward could only regard his love for almost every other human with adoration, never envy. People were his brother’s thing, and he was more than fine with that notion. 

At the moment however, the lack of skill wasn't being the most helpful.

“What are you two conspiring back there?” The curtain-parted blond boy accused, leaning around his seat to eye Edward and Rose. 

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Don’t pull that. I know you’re Fives, but even a Six isn’t that stupid.”

“Wha- I- We were just-”

“Who are you?” Edward cut in. 

“Who am  _ I _ ?” He scoffed, tone patronizing. “I’m a Tringham. You know, the leading family brand of red stone mining? The most revered mineral in the entire jewelry industry?”

"Ohhh. Russel Trigham right? The  _ Four _ ?" Edward asked, clearing mimicking the boy's previous tone. Russel had the audacity to appear offended at the use.

"I'll have you know that we're the most successful Fours in all of Amestris. You Fives really are stupid to not know that a caste only guarantees your profession, not your income or lifestyle. My family is faring better than most Threes, in fact."

"And I'll have you know that every caste below yours is not as privileged and doesn't have that leeway. When you're only allowed labor work, there's not a lot you can do with that, huh? Or when you're an artist that is forced to live off purely subjective work in a society that doesn't even appreciate it? Or a worker who can only apply for the cashier position and never for the manager? Who can make success out of that?”

“Anyone who isn’t a complete and utter  _ idiot _ , I’m sure.”

Edward felt a spike of actual anger as opposed to the aloof annoyance he was feeling beforehand and opened his mouth to say something that would completely demolish that brat, when the brunette with glasses suddenly decided to speak.

"Let's not fight right now, we have a long flight ahead of us."

"Agreed." Rose squeaked, nodding sheepishly. 

Russel looked between the two women aghast before glaring at Edward again. "Fine," he huffed, "There'll be more than enough opportunity for such once we all begin competing for the prince's hand."

He finally turned back around and properly sat down in his seat, while Edward could only look on in shock as the truth of his statement sunk in. He was going to be stuck with snobs a million times worse than Russel and be expected to fight with them! For television! Over a bastard of a prince!

Rose seemed to sense Edward’s distress, as she meekly smiled as she leaned over to whisper. “Don’t worry too much. No matter what, only the prince can kick you out. The other competitors can’t do anything.”

Edward looked at her incredulously. Did she not realize that Central Report polling was a thing? That this was a competition to win the public’s heart as well as the prince’s? He only sighed, shaking off the worry. It’s not like he was actually trying to compete and stand a chance himself.

“Yeah…” He conceded offering his own meek smile. 

She brightly nodded and leaned back in her chair, once again peppy despite the recent altercation. Edward shook his head to himself. Poor girl… She actually was optimistic about it. Hope of that manner was something the blond had always avoided growing up, because it got in the way of logic. Logically, he and Rose would get disqualified within the first week, just for being a Five, and the public polls would demolish them if they somehow lasted longer.

Edward liked logic; Especially when it supported him going home soon.

Rose seemed plenty friendly though, and within an hour made friends with the brunette that sat in front, who Edward soon learned was Amber. She was a Three with clear noble lineage, and held herself with such sophistication and grace and even Russel didn’t dare to try to pick a fight. Her words were articulate and well-thought, and Edward was almost inclined to make intelligent conversation with her before it had become unfortunately clear that she was as mindless as she was smart. When Rose asked her about her opinion on the prince, her answer was nothing of actual observation or even admiration, but instead some manufactured inoffensive response of “He is a good prince,” that lasted more sentences than necessary.

It was as if she was brought up to not have opinions of her own, or to be as universally appealing as possible, which Amber was pulling off very well. Obedient, loyal, intelligent, and pretty, Edward instantly mentally noted her as the perfect candidate for Queen if the prince needed a well-bred puppet. Someone who could hold their own in high society-conversations and events, while serving as a vassal for the prince’s own beliefs and values. Thinking such thoughts had Edward mentally repulsing at the thought of royalty. 

He’d never understand them.

Russel meanwhile hadn’t thawed in the slightest throughout the entire flight, and the friendliest he got was talking to Amber about her family’s business, albeit lacking any niceties. She didn’t seem to mind though, and answered perfectly as he practically interrogated her economy practices. It was clear he was just trying to get more information for his own gain, and it would’ve been calculating had it not been for Amber’s stoic agreeance. So, Edward didn’t hesitate to conclude that Russell is a dick.

With talking to him out of the question, and with Rose and Amber prattling about many things Edward found nonsensical, the blond was left with his own compounding thoughts as he stared out of the jet window. He didn’t know why he felt the need to analyze his competitors, but he managed to reason it was to get a better idea of what to expect when he met the others at Central, because he absolutely  _ refuses _ to actually care a single ounce about this Selection. Especially care a single ounce about the prince.

Oh, if only his brother was still around to call him out on his shit. 

He couldn’t doze off no matter how hard he tried, and time seemed to pass slowly and excruciatingly as he idly sat for hours. The only notes of interest were some small moments of turbulence, as he found it slightly funny how Russell would dramatically hold on to his armrests like a scared cat, and moments when a well-dressed flight attendant would come from a mysterious back room with carts full of confections. First it was a buffet of breakfast, including eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles, potatoes, sausages, and an array of fruits for yogurt. Edward had never seen so many options of food in his life, and was too overwhelmed with nervousness and wonder to settle on anything other than a granola bar. By the time lunch rolled around though, his stomach felt a lot more settled and he was able to scarf down two sandwiches and an apple, but nausea overcame him once again as the sight of Central met him. 

It was the richest district by far, and even from his small window high up, Edward could already see the streets crowded with people. 

And there, separated by a river of a moat and large stone walls, was the castle. It had acres of land on each side that made its driveway more of a never-ending garden, and looked almost charmingly out of place within the large city of skyscrapers and roads, as if it was the last semblance of an older time to remain. Beyond its gates was a wide street where the usual parades were held that was repurposed for the arrival of the Selected, and the jet landed in line with the identical ones already there.

Edward was unsure of what to do for a moment, and nearly flinched when an intercom went off within the cabin, “We have arrived in Central. Please exit through the door to your left in the back. Thank you.” A flight attendant's voice said. 

Russel was already out the door, and soon Edward found himself almost scrabbling to not get left behind as Rose and Amber quickly followed. 

Immediately, the sound of screaming and cheering pierced his ears, and the intensity made him actually wish to be stuck in a jet for hours again. There was no time to process as they were quickly ushered along by crown workers to start walking down the large path, where Selected from other jets were already walking down. If Edward thought getting out of the limo was bad, this was on a whole other level.

Crowds more than twice as large as before lined the path that led to the gates, almost all of them holding signs or cameras that were flashing or recording. There was nearly no room to breathe as the sheer amount of attention suddenly dawned on Edward like a freight train, especially with the knowledge that this many people, and way more, would be watching everything happening on their televisions. 

It was with a lot of effort and force that he yanked himself out of his stupor and made sure to properly walk along and wave like everyone else, smiling for a lack of a more appropriate expression. His eyes scanned the signs, reading everything to take his mind off of the cameras, and nearly tripped when he saw that there were already a few that had his picture from the Selection application with hearts drawn or with words of encouragement.

‘Golden Boy already has my heart!’ One sign said.

He saw a lot more signs siding with other Selected, but it was still an immense surprise that he counted a total of 12 referencing him by the time he reached the end of the path. Out of 36 candidates to choose from and some people had already chosen him to place their bets on? The walk was almost scaringly revealing of who the people’s favorites are so far, as there was clear bias already just by sign counting. Edward saw the most on Lust and Greed, and mostly a lot on every other Two, but there were surprisingly little on some Threes and Fours that he saw within the crowd. A few on Rose, and even shockingly fewer on Amber, but Edward would be lying to himself if he didn’t feel a little good to outbeat Russel, who only had about 6 posters. 

That sliver of pride didn’t last long though, as soon worry took its place as they were all led through the large and tall iron-wrought gates of the castle. Beyond were stretches of grass and garden, the actual castle itself looking far away now that Edward was on foot. There were no crowds in here.

They were led into carriages that were waiting at the entrance, staying within their groups from the jets, and it was a short ride before the horses were pulling up to a halt. No one had said anything, Russel just scowled to himself, while Rose and Amber had looked out the window to admire the gardens. Edward could only do his best from breaking a nervous sweat.

He had always known he was not the most charismatic person, but the idea of having to socially navigate through life with 36 competitive, probably rude, strangers had him already feeling a bit claustrophobic.

He was already dreading this.

Edward stepped out after the three, taking a moment to look up and the seemingly-endless height of the castle up close. It was absolutely massive, and it was with disbelief he wondered how they’ve kept the old stone walls looking so clean and new. There wasn’t much time to take in his surroundings however, as all of the Selected were herded into the immaculate foyer. 

With all of them together for the first time, an air of undeniable tension rose as everyone spared leveling glances at one another, as if assessing who were threats or not. Thankfully, there wasn’t much opportunity for that as everyone was approached by personnel in a uniform that Edward couldn’t recognize, but the emblem on their patch undeniably marked them as a crown worker. 

“Hello,” The girl that came up to him greeted, “My name is Mei, and I’m your head maid for the duration of your stay here. Can you please follow me? I’ll show you to your rooms.”

“Oh,” Edward startled, “Okay, uh, thanks…”

She beamed and turned, leading Edward up the grand staircase to the main floor along with the other maids and Selected. As they walked down the halls, he couldn’t help but feel slightly irked at the disorientation from the overlapping eras of time the castle seemed to hold. Furnishings and paintings that lined the walls looked straight out of fairy tail, while the occasional tvs planted on the wall or flying jet that could be sighted from the large windows looked almost out of place. Mei too, despite having the title of ‘maid’, looked more like a customer service representative and wore khakis with an embroidered polo shirt rather than the stereotypical black and white dress. She looked strangely too young as well, and seemed closer to Alphonse’s age than Edward’s.

“This is the main hallway to reach the second floor,” She explained as they climbed another flight of stairs, “A few turns here and you’ll be in the north wing, where all of the Selected will be staying.” 

Edward did his best to mentally keep track of the turns she took to reach the guest hallway, but the uniformity of the lavish corridors were not helping. 

“On the left will be all of the men’s, and the right will have the woman’s.” Mei gestured to both sides as they reached another split in the hallway. “You will be staying in this room.” She finished, stopping at one of the first rooms to the left.

“And what if I forget?” Edward couldn’t help but ask. He didn’t trust himself nearly enough to believe that he wouldn’t get lost. 

“Oh, your other maids and I will help you. You can ask any stationed guards too.”

“O-other maids?” 

“Yes, you have me, your head maid, and two other apprentice maids: Jasmine and Claudia.” She said, opening Edward’s room. There, the two girls Mei must have just named stood there and looked to be finishing making the large bed. Upon seeing Mei and Edward enter, they gathered their cleaning supplies and met the blond at the doorway, tilting their head in bows. “It’s a pleasure to meet you sir Elric. I am Jasmine.”   
“I am Claudia.”

“Nice to meet you.” Edward returned, a bit thrown off by the formal address. He looked between the three curiously, as they actually  _ all _ looked rather young for this. Not to mention the overwhelming sensation that came with the idea of not having one, but  _ three _ maids waiting on him. The combination was all it took for Edward to hate Central and the royal family a little more than he already did. Having barely grown children forced into servitude in such high numbers and offering them to the Selected as if it was a proud thing? Mei especially somehow was reminding him of Alphonse, despite looking nothing alike, and, had they been just one caste lower, a Six, that could’ve been them. This could’ve been his little brother.

Utterly revolting.

“Would you like us to run you a bath?”

“All of your clothes that have been sent beforehand are put away in drawers already, along with custom tailored suits in the closet. Is there anything else you’d like?”

“We can send room service if you’re hungry right now?”

Edward meekly smiled at the barrage of questions from the three and raised both of his hands.    
“No, no, I’m fine. I can settle in on my own, thank you.”

“Are you sure? Our entire job is to wait on you, so please don’t think anything is a bother.”

“Oh, um-” Edward couldn’t help but already feel that this was a bit much. “It’s alright for now, I promise.”

Jasmine and Claudia looked confused by the dismissal, and shared a questioning look with Mei, who nodded to the two in assurance. 

“Alright then, Sir Elric.”

“Enjoy your night.”

They both curtisied and left, leaving Mei and Edward at the door.

“There’s a bell in your room. Simply ring it if you need us for anything.” She explained, curtsying deeply. 

“Thank you, uh,” Edward paused, and Mei waited expectantly. “I do have a question, though…”   
“Yes?”   
“This sounds kind of dumb, but what am I, er- supposed to do?”

Mei blinked at him, before her eyes widened in realization. “Oh, you mean at this very moment?”

Edward nodded sheepishly. 

“Nothing but settle in. It’s already late, and you won’t receive a proper schedule until tomorrow morning, after you’re interviewed by the prince.”

“Interviewed by the prince?”

“His highness is going to meet all of you for the first time tomorrow morning, and he’d like to follow the tradition of eliminating about 10 of you right away after an interview. Then is breakfast and a more thorough explanation of how life in the castle will be.” She beamed, as if it was the most normal thing, while Edward could only feel dread pooling at his stomach. 

“He’s eliminating 10 by breakfast tomorrow?”

Mei shrugged, “About. Though, it can depend.”

“Great…” He tried his best to not look alarmed, but his maid seemed to be very observant.

“Don’t worry, I honestly think you will be fine.” She assured, “Is there anything else? We’ll wake you up, so you only need to stay in your room until then.”

“Um,” Edward thought, looking around and noticing that all of the other Selected were already in their own rooms and that the hallway was now empty, “Sorry,” He half laughed, “I must be taking up your time. That’s it, thank you.”

Mei smiled, but she gave him a slightly weird look as she turned to leave. “Goodnight then, Sir Elric.”

“Goodnight.”

Edward took a deep breath as he closed the door, slowly turning around to take in his room. It was something he’s never seen before; it was so spacious and lavish. A beautiful desk and painting took one side of the room, while a large-sized bed took the other. To the side was a door leading to an elegant bathroom with a tub big enough to fit three people, and another door leading to a small balcony with an amazing view of the back garden. Sure enough, the large walk-in closet was already filled with suits and dress shirts galore, and there was even a mini-bar that was stocked with snacks.

Edward already hated it. 

He was filled with awe and extremely grateful for the comfortable room, sure, but it could mostly only remind him of how many people were suffering and living in places that could barely be deemed homes. Meanwhile Central was so rich that they have multiple bedroom-paradises that weren’t even being used most of the time. Edward was no fool to not know that these were extra rooms specifically made for the Selected, which only came about every 80 years, and only stayed for less than a year on average. Scratch that, almost 10 would already stay for less than a whole day and night. 

Edward sighed and looked out to the window of the balcony. 

It would be around mid-day if he were with his family, but due to the slight time difference in Central, he was enough hours ahead for the sun to already be setting. It was far from late, but there was nothing else to do but sleep until tomorrow, so the blond tiredly took to the covers. They were fluffy and thick and had almost impossibly too many layers, so Edward had to wrestle with them for a bit to get comfortable.

Finally, after having tried to no avail on the jet, he was at last able to drift off into sleep, but it was short and light. The sun was barely fully set and the sky was barely sprinkling with stars while Edward tossed and turned before deciding to just get up. 

He got up and, in a fit of restlessness, practically tore through all of the cabinets, looking to find his own pjs from home. At the moment, he still hadn’t taken off the suit he was forced to wear upon entering the jet, and he had been just trying to sleep with the jacket and tie off, but now he wanted something more comfortable. The closet had sets of satin pajamas, but they were far too fancy and foriegn than Edward liked, so he took to his own clothes sent from home. He didn’t own any actual pairs, but rather would sleep in sweat pants with a simple t-shirt, so that’s what he put on. 

Edward tried to sleep again, now in his familiar clothes, but that only proved to bring on a wave of homesickness. He and Alphonse would always take each others’ t-shirts, so now the scent of his brother on himself seemed suddenly more acute. It became harder to ignore the fact that he already missed his family a lot. 

Not wanting to continue down that train of thought, he got up and paced the room for a bit, unsure of what he was looking for until he realized it; He was looking for an instrument to play. That was always what would calm him down, despite doing it all day for work. When he couldn’t sleep, his default was to play because it was so familiar and so natural to him at this point. It was the only way to effectively turn his brain off, and now that he needed it the most, he didn’t have it. 

For a brief moment Edward thought about ringing the bell to ask if Mei could bring him anything, like a guitar or violin, before deciding against it as a glance at the clock told him that it was now past 10pm. He’d been thinking in bed for that long? It seemed to have gotten late out of nowhere, and for some reason the knowledge of being that much closer to morning brought a spike of anxiety through him. Edward had promised himself he would stay long enough to get Trisha’s medicine, but now he could get eliminated as soon as in a few hours. There was no way he’d last; Fives were notorious for being the first ones to be kicked out. 

He began to pace again as his mind raced to think of what he could say in the interview that would leave a good impression on the prince. Edward had enough pride to not want to be eliminated so fast, and he reasoned with himself that it was because of that and not because he actually cared for the prince’s opinion or anything. 

With an annoyed huff, he rummaged through the desk and found papers and a good pen to begin sorting his thoughts, but the sudden stress of his situation had him staring at the blank paper for a few minutes too long. He would start a sentence, only to vigorously cross it out in distress.

“Dammit.” He cursed to himself, crumpling the paper after only managing a few ugly doodles on it. 

He needed to get out of here.

Edward went to the balcony, desperately needed fresh air, but it was so small and confined it hardly helped. It wasn’t enough. Looking out to the gardens with longing, the blond decisively walked to his door and opened it with intent to get outside. He was as quiet as possible, and almost stepped out before noticing a guard was at the end of the hallway, and another guard was walking by doing rounds. 

Fuck.

He closed the door again and looked around his room desperately, going to his balcony again. It was a two-story drop, and Edward noticed a lot of intricate designs down the wall that could serve as ledges as he looked down. He could make that work.

He would just walk outside to clear his head for a bit, that’s all. 

At least, that’s what Edward told himself as he swung a leg over the railing, starting to scale down the castle. He only wore slides and a hoodie as he took on the outside garden, and he let out a breath of relief as he got safely to the ground.

The ‘backyard’ of the castle was almost never ending, and the night illuminated it brightly with its moon and stars, and there was even a pleasant breeze and the enticing aroma of flowers it brought with it. Edward took a deep breath and smiled.

This was much better already. 

He found a cobbled path and walked along it, taking care to not lose the sight of his balcony and to be on the lookout for anyone else. Central was more humid than Resembool, but Edward was enjoying the air despite it, and he was almost thoroughly contented by the time he came across one of the walls. There were more acres that belonged to the castle, he knew, but the wall served at the perimeter of the gardens, and the limit had Edward wanting to deliberately cross it. Instead, he just looked at it, entertaining the thought of running away and going back home by climbing it.

“Hey! You!”

Edward startled, pivoting around to see a pair of guards running towards him.

Shit, shit, shit. 

“What are you doing?!” One of them bellowed, grabbing the blond’s arm roughly.

“I just wanted to get some fresh air-” Edward tried, grunting as the other guard got his other side, effectively pinning him.

“Who are you?!” The other demanded.

“I’m one of the Selected! I- Hey!” He yelped, getting roughly pulled by the both of them. Before he could attempt to start kicking or punching, a clear voice of authority cut through the air like an arrow.

“What’s going on here?”

The struggle between the guards and Edward suddenly froze, and they all took in the man that had just emerged. It was the prince of Amestris himself, Roy fucking Mustang, that was standing there, looking as regal and supercilious as ever. All the while Edward was in the middle of getting harrassed by two guards in the middle of the night, wearing nothing but his pjs and his ponytail having come loose in the commotion, leaving his hair falling over his shoulder in a mess.

So much for first impressions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed that chapter! I hopefully won't take too long on the next update, but if I do, it's because I'm focusing on my other fanfic. For instance I wrote 40 pages on that one before coming back to do the second chapter on this one :^)  
> I think I'm more into this one at the moment though, because I'm dying for RoyxEd content, ripppp.  
> I found an excuse to get Mei in this story, yay! Keep in mind Edward is legal (18), so Alphonse AND Mei look more like the adults that they are in the photo they show at the end of FMA:B than how they do in the series. (But both of them aren't actually adults, almost though) And yes, watch out because Russel is a dick xD Feel free to disagree, but that's the vibe I got from him in FM03, oof.   
> Stay safe out there! Lots of love!


	3. First Impressions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He grabbed a pillow and hugged it while on his stomach, the cushion flushed against his chest making it entirely too obvious to feel how rapid his heart was beating.
> 
> If Alphonse was here, he’d absolutely kill him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man this chapter felt almost out of my control, lol. I meant for one thing to happen, but then something else did, but I'm going with it! Also, thank you so much for leaving comments! It really motivates me more than anything and, although this story wasn't the main one I've been working on, I just might move this one up on my list of priorities, because I'm getting excited now that this story is picking up! I have a lot of ideas of shenanigans that will take place too, so I hope you all stay tuned!  
> Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!

“Oh! Y-your highness!”

Both of the guards dropped to a knee in a deep bow, and let go of Edward to salute a hand over their hearts. The blond, frozen from shock, didn’t even get a chance to try to run away as they quickly stood again and latched onto his shoulders. “We found this young man from the Selected illegally out of his room.”

_ Illegally _ ? That sounds way more serious than it ought to be, but Edward couldn’t deny the split second fear that waved through him. The prince looked stern as he regarded the trio. He was wearing his uniform that made him somehow look  _ more _ of a military personal than the actual guards themselves, and stood in such a manner that had all three straightening in his presence.

His eyes landed on Edward’s for the first time, and the blond had to suck in his breath; the prince was expecting an explanation from him.

“I was just out for a walk because I wanted some fresh air, um, your highness.” He tried, ducking his head. 

“Don’t worry, your highness. We’re turning him in and going to make sure he’s dealt with.” A guard quipped.

Edward gasped as the other guard got his hands and painfully pinned them against his back. He had never felt so inferior in life. 

Fucking great.

“Release him.” Roy Mustang declared. Edward looked back up at him in surprise, as did the guards.

“But! Your highness-”

“I said, release him.”

The guards looked at each other for a moment, unsure, before flinching under the prince's hardening gaze.

"Of course, your highness." 

They  defeatedly let Edward go and stepped back, looking like dogs that just got yelled at. 

“You are dismissed.” 

“Yes, your highness...” They both mumbled, looking rather disheartened. 

As the guards suddenly retreated, Edward could only stand frozen as the events processed. The prince saved him? But why? Before his mind could even ponder at an answer, Mustang approached him and was suddenly very close.

“Are you alright?”

Edward blinked, in disbelief. The prince didn’t look stern anymore, only genuinely concerned.

“Oh, uh- I’m alright.” He stammered. Looking to the floor, he subconsciously brushed a long strand behind his ear and began twirling the end of it nervously. 

“They didn’t hurt you, right?”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that... I-” Edward finally got the courage to look at Mustang in the eyes, but the prince was instead watching the blond’s fingers play with his hair. In sudden horror, Edward realized what he was doing and quickly put his hand down, embarrassment clawing at his chest. 

There were always moments when he would regret having his hair so long, which was currently almost reaching his mid-back, and when he’d curse the locks from hell to back. This was one of those moments.

“Fuck, where’s my rubber band?” He muttered to himself, sacrificing even more dignity as he quickly kneeled down to find it. Luckily, he was fast and was able to stand up straight again, and he did his best to ignore how Mustang’s eyes followed him as he swiftly pulled his hair into a ponytail. 

“Ahem, er- thank you, by the way.” Edward sighed, feeling partially relieved to have something taken care of. He was still in simple sleeping clothes though, and it really didn’t help that Mustang was looking television ready, on the other hand.

“I apologize for the trouble they gave you.” The prince said.

Edward vigorously shook his head and put his hands up to wave them dismissively. 

“No, it’s fine! I mean, it’s my fault anyway for coming out here… I, uh, just really needed a walk to clear my head, I guess.” Edward did his best to choke out a laugh, but it was coming off as too forced even to him. Everything was not fine! He could get put in jail this instant, or break the Selection’s record for ‘fastest elimination’, or be denounced to an Eight, or-

Fuck, this was a mess.

“I’m sorry...” He added, feeling like an idiot for already getting himself in such trouble. But to his surprise, Mustang only smiled.

“I do the same thing. In fact, that’s what I’m doing right now.” He let out a light chuckle, and Edward could only be surprised again. He’s being… really nice?

“Walking in these gardens is my favorite thing to do when I’m particularly worried about anything.” He continued. “I could understand why you would seek refuge here…Would you care to stroll with me?”

Edward regarded him apprehensively for a moment, in disbelief. Here he was in a situation that was perfect for getting him eliminated, or even incarcerated, yet here the prince of the fucking country was being nice about it. None of it made sense, and he almost felt like it had to be some sort of trap. Mustang was looking at him kindly though, and, try as he might, Edward could not detect a hint of malice in those dark eyes.

Edward felt his shoulders slump marginally as he exhaled and gave in, nodding to the offer cautiously. He had no idea what to expect and was completely thrown off by everything so far, so what the hell. Why not.

“I’d like that,” Edward breathed, ignoring the charming smile that was Mustang’s reply. 

“How much of the garden have you walked so far?” The prince asked as they began to stroll down one of the many stone paths. His tone was light and casual, and the blond couldn’t help but continue to be skeptical.

“Not much, I don’t think. I mean, this garden seems almost infinite.” Edward admitted, finding it a lot easier to breathe now that Mustang’s back was to him as they walked. He hated how riled up he undoubtedly felt, but he took the opportunity to take a deep exhale and to get himself under control.

But then again, what was one supposed to say to a fucking  _ prince _ ? 

“Ah, that’s my favorite thing about it.”

Mustang took them around a few turns that Edward hadn’t noticed at first, and suddenly he found himself seeing a part of the garden he’d never seen before. While the outskirts were pretty enough with its flowers and statues, there was something even more charming about the trees and high hedges, the canopy of ancient cherry blossoms stretching over them like a blanket of nature. 

“This spot in particular is my favorite.”

As he said that, they approached a small fountain that was boxed by tall hedges, the only opening being a slim gash covered by vines. It was as if it was meant to be hidden from the rest of the world.

“Oh, it’s beautiful.” Edward couldn’t help but admit. The area was kinda small, but in a cozy way, and the sky reflected almost magically on the water’s surface. The fountain itself was crafted elegantly and in high detail, a carved angel displayed in the middle holding a vase from which the water came out of, and symbols of what he could only assume was latin ringing the base of it.

The prince sat on the matching bench that laid across it, overlooking the small courtyard, and Edward followed suit for lack of a better option.

“So how are you liking it here in Central so far, darling?”

Edward couldn’t help but scrunch his nose at that. 

“I’m not your ‘darling’.” He couldn’t help but point out.

“Why of course you are.” Mustang grinned, as if the blond was being silly. 

Edward felt himself bristle, suddenly feeling threatened. Of course this was how the prince saw him. He took pity on him, that’s what it must have been, not kindness. Why else would he save him?

Edward couldn’t believe that he almost let himself forget that, at the end of the day, he was just a part of this prince’s harem. If Mustang thought he was going to get him to be his boy toy or something, then he thought wrong. The blond abruptly stood up, the same surrounding bushes and trees looking more like traps now. 

“I’m no more your ‘darling’ than the other 35 people you have here trapped in this cage!” He fumed. 

Mustang actually flinched, as if taken aback. His smirk fell and his eyebrows scrunched.

“Well at the moment you are all equally darling to me- Did I offend you in some way?” He asked, looking confused.  Edward clenched his fist as the tension he held only rose, feeling an intense need to just  _ leave _ .

“Forget it. I’m going back inside.” He declared, already turning his back.

“Elric!” 

The blond physically stuttered as his retreat was interrupted by the prince reaching out for his arm. Man, if Edward wasn’t tired of people grabbing him today…

“You’re Elric, right? The Five?”

Edward turned to face him, his best glare on his face. “Yeah, so?” 

“Wait a minute.” Mustang ordered, his grip on the blond’s arm staying firm when Edward tried breaking free. “What got you angry so suddenly?-”

The blond really did not want to be alone with the prince for another second, and tried pulling himself away, but Mustang didn’t let up and only pulled him back. The inertia had Edward almost falling forward, and the prince used the proximity to his advantage to grab the blond’s shoulder with his other hand, locking him in his hold. 

“Let me go!” Edward yelled, but the prince only gave him an exasperated look while easily keeping him in place. His ability to do so had chills running down the blond’s spine as the realization flooded over him. 

_ You are not, in any circumstances, allowed to ever deny the prince. _

In his position, Edward could see how the prince was a good foot taller than him, and, along with the fact that he was obviously much older and much stronger, it became startlingly clear that- if he really wanted to- Mustang could do whatever he wanted to him. And no one was around to help; no one even  _ would _ . 

In a pure flit of panic, Edward thrashed and brought up his leg in a kick- right in between Mustang’s legs. Being a fellow man, he knew how much of a serious area that was to attack, so he only used what he hoped was enough force to get the prince to let him go. 

It worked. 

With a groan of pain, Mustang cringed and let the blond free, falling to his knees and clutching his wound. 

“I don’t care about the papers I signed! I’m not going to let you do whatever you want with me!” Edward snapped, out of breath with the adrenaline. 

“What?” Mustang looked up at him with a grimace of pain, but his confusion was still evident. “Why did you-!” He shook his head and started over, “ _ What _ papers?”

“The ones asking if we’re virgins, the ones that relinquish our rights to you, the ones that nulls our ability to accuse  _ rape _ !” He seethed, holding his abused wrist to his chest. 

“ _ What- _ ?”

Edward was about to turn around and run, over the garden wall he’d found earlier if he had to, when the expression of genuine distress on the prince made him involuntarily pause.

“I didn’t know- I had no idea-” Mustang grimaced and slowly got to his feet, shaking his head to himself, “Were you under the impression that I would- that I was trying to-?” He couldn’t even bring himself to finish any of his sentences, the concern in his tone sounding almost too real for him to be faking it. Did he really not know? Edward felt his eyes widen at the thought, surprised.

“Well, yeah…” The blond admitted, desperately looking for any signs that the prince was lying or faking.

Mustang only looked devastated.

The prince took a moment to process the blond’s claims and looked at the floor as he caught his breath, Edward regarding him closely the whole time, before he looked back up with grim resolve on his features. 

“I would never do such a thing.”

Edward stared back at him, unsure of what to make of that.

“You really didn’t know?”

Mustang closed his eyes and solemnly shook his head, as if the notion pained him. “I was not ever made aware that the Selected would be under such agreements. Had I known, I would have never allowed it, I assure you.”

For some reason, the professionalism in his voice now only made his previous distress feel more real, since he had actually lost his composure. He had more than regained it now, however, as he suddenly looked very serious.

“I need to speak to my father about this.” He took out a pocket watch and muttered something under his breath, stressed. The action and accompanying expression made the prince look like the middle-aged sovereign that he actually is; the sovereign that Edward had kicked. In the balls.

Fuck.

Edward couldn’t help but gasp, the small noise getting Mustang’s attention.

“Oh- God, I’m sorry that I- Fuck I can’t believe...Wow, I actually kicked you.” The blond reeled, feeling like an idiot again.

Even more surprisingly, the prince halfheartedly chuckled. “Yes, you did. Quite an achievement, honestly.”

Edward felt the corner of his lip quirk, part of him wanting to laugh along but the rest of him in too much astonishment and shock to do so. Before he could properly apologize for such an act- honestly at this point he wouldn’t be surprised if _this_ is what gets him imprisoned; he assaulted the fucking prince of Amestris, after all- he opened his mouth only to stop as Mustang’s expression sobered considerably. 

“I apologize for putting you in the position that made you feel the need to defend yourself in that way.” He murmured, “I have to go inside now, but could I still walk you back to your room?”

Edward stilled. He hadn’t even noticed it, but his shoulders weren’t even wrought with tension anymore, yet Mustang was speaking softly as if he was a cornered animal that he didn’t want to scare away. To be fair, for a split second that’s what he felt like, but, nevertheless, he felt almost undeserving of the gentleness the prince was showing him. Edward wasn’t stupid either, and he knew Mustang was asking only to be polite, when in reality he didn’t have a choice in the matter, being that he hadn't been allowed to leave his room in the first place. 

“Okay.” He said, following him once again. It didn’t take too long to get inside, but the walk to his room was almost unbearable with all of the stationed and patrolling guards giving them curious looks. He hated the feeling of eyes on his back, though most of them were respectful enough to turn away once they got closer, and luckily the accompaniment of the prince got them through all of the halls without being asked questions. The plus of being the prince of the castle, it seemed.

“Is it alright if I ask…” Mustang started, drawing Edward out of his stupor, “How did you manage to not get caught until you were outside?”

The blond straightened, thankful that all they had was the light from the windows, because he was positive his growing blush would’ve been noticed otherwise. 

“Oh, about that…”

They reached his door, and Edward, being paranoid enough to bring his keys, was able to unlock and open it. The sight of the gaping balcony door swaying as a breeze hit it seemed to finish his sentence well enough, as Mustang’s eyes widened considerably.

“You didn’t…”

“But I did.” Edward couldn’t help but grin.

Mustang looked at him incredulously, then his expression shifted into something the blond couldn’t read.

”Well, then… I see.” He finally breathed, exhaling in a way that bordered laughter, his returning smile filled with mirth. 

He looked younger that way.

It was nice, so Edward didn’t realize that they were smiling at each other like idiots until it already passed for a second too long.

“It’s late...” He started, beginning to enter his room.

“Of course.” Mustang nodded, not needing the blond to continue. “Goodnight, dar- Elric.” He stuttered. 

Edward felt himself smile sheepishly for how the prince faltered over what, he now knew, was a harmless term due to his previous reaction, but the blond couldn’t deny that he preferred being called by name. 

“Goodnight.” He evenly returned, trying to not obviously shut the door too fast. Once he closed it completely, he let out a deep breath and nearly crumpled to the floor.

Holy shit.

He should be thanking the universe for whatever reason had him  _ not _ in jail, should be thanking the stars or the heavens or  _ something _ after such a night. As much as he was grateful to still be breathing, Edward felt much more tired than anything, despite the craziness, so he practically threw himself on the bed. He grabbed a pillow and hugged it while on his stomach, the cushion flushed against his chest making it entirely too obvious to feel how rapid his heart was beating.

If Alphonse was here, he’d absolutely kill him.

Edward hid his face in the pillow and groaned in frustration, everything suddenly feeling much more complicated. He refused to let himself begin to ponder on it, so it was with immense gratitude that he let sleep take him. 

After all, tomorrow would be the real beginning of this shit show.

\---

Mei was surprisingly not gentle in her way in waking Edward up.

“Morning!” She cheered, unraveling the blond from the burrito he had managed to wrap himself throughout his sleep. The result was hitting the floor with a loud thud.

“Ow!” He yelped, an arm flying to clutch his head. He looked up to see Mei grinning at him unapologeticly, Jasmine and Claudia gaping on in horror at the head maid. She promptly ignored everyone’s looks.

“Time to wake up sleepy head!” She chirped. 

Edward was highly suspicious of her obvious change in demeanor and lack of professionalism she now had compared to yesterday, but she was already going to his closet before he could question it.

“What time is it?” He asked instead, scowling as his fingers got caught in tangles while running through his hair. 

“It’s 7 AM, sir.” Jasmine answered helpfully. 

“Thanks…”

Mei barked something out to Claudia that had the poor girl scurrying to the bathroom, but Edward failed to catch it. 

“Um, what are you all doing?”

“We’re running your bath, it should be ready in a bit.”

“A bath?”   
“Don’t complain.” Mei warned, cutting in their conversation and coming out of the closet with a set of clothes. 

“Who said I was complaining?” Edward frowned.

“Oh, you’re about to soon enough. Now strip.”

“Wha-!”

Edward felt his face catch fire. He had to have heard that wrong. “There’s no way I’m-!”

“I said no complaining! We won’t look, just get in the bath!” She ordered. Her tone left little room for argument. Edward practically jumped from the floor and stumbled towards the bathroom, not in the mood to be yelled at. 

Claudia, seeing him enter, quickly double checked the water and left him alone, but before the blond could close the door to fully get some privacy, Mei yelled at him to keep it open.

Edward groaned. What in the world did he get himself into?

He lets loose his falling-out-already ponytail and made quick work of his clothes, pausing when he sees the tub overflowing with foam.

“Why are there fucking bubbles?!” He demanded.

“Do you want us to see you naked?! Stop complaining!”

Damn, she’s feisty. Edward would have never figured from their first meeting. 

Grumbling the whole time, he complied and lowered himself in. Despite being extremely grumpy in the mornings and even more spurred on to pick a fight with Mei’s evoking, he still can’t help but marginally relax and feel better once the warm water engulfs his skin.

“Are you in?”

“Yes!” He called, not knowing why they needed to know.

To his immense dismay, all three of them filed in, products in hand that already had Edward dreading the day. Jasmine and Claudia immediately took to his hair, while Mei brought in the clothes she'd chosen and hung it up on the side.

“I can wash myself, you know.” He huffed, extremely uncomfortable with the three girls having anything to do with the process. As much as he wanted to recoil or turn away, the predicament of him being naked unfortunately kept him still.

“Do I need to say it again?” Mei drawled, looking unimpressed.

“I’m not complaining, it’s just that-”

“They’re just going to wash your hair and face, is all.” She dryly comforted. “This is our entire job. Don’t make it harder for us than it already is.”

With that logic, Edward couldn’t help but shut up. Even though he hated being coddled, he hated being any sort of burden even more. Mei seemed able to tell that she hit the mark, looking at the blond triumphantly as he defeatedly sunk lower in the bath, and she nonchalantly proceeded to begin ironing his clothes. 

“You have very beautiful hair.” Claudia whispered, the timid girl finally speaking an entire sentence in Edward’s presence. 

“Um, thank you…” The blond awkwardly accepted, making Jasmine giggle. Mei looked up at her two maids endearingly, and for some reason the moment made Edward think that, with these three around, maybe this Selection experience won’t be so bad.

Then it was time to leave, the notion had the blond taking back everything. 

He was dressed smartly in black slacks and a crimson button up, the most casual he was allowed to get, and the quarter sleeves had him nervously pulling the cuffs up to roll them up at his elbows. It felt weird otherwise. Mei just rolled her eyes at his fidgeting, and for once was gentle when she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Like I said before, I honestly think you’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know…” Edward admitted, looking himself over in the mirror one last time. Despite meeting the prince earlier than he was supposed to, he still doubted he’d make it through this major elimination round. After all, he did kind of assault him. 

“Alright, it’s time for you to go!” Mei beamed, oblivious to the blond’s rising panic. 

Without getting a chance to mutter another word, he was pushed outside, the knob unmoving when he tried shaking it. They locked him out! Irritated at his situation, Edward dishearteningly looked around to find that the other Selected were leaving their rooms at the same time. Those damn maids must all be secretly on Bluetooth with each other, he swore. 

There was a crown worker with a clipboard- why did they always have to have clipboards? - in the hall in between the girls’ and the boys’ wing calling out to follow her, so the blond went along with everyone else and did. As they traveled through the castle in what Edward felt like could only be called a herd, other Selected took the opportunity to once again try leveling each other up. The blond was already sick of it, so he ignored any stares or glances that came in his direction, opting to just face forward.

Thankfully it didn’t take long until they all were led to a spacious room. It was sparsely decorated, as if it was cleared out for its current purpose, and only had a few couches against the wall on one half. The other half had two couches intimately facing each other by the window, far away enough for the space to manage having privacy. So everyone would be able to see the interviews, but no one would be able to hear them.

Comforting. 

Everyone found a spot on one of the numerous couches to settle on, and Edward sadly was forced to bunk between two blonds he’d never met before; Rose was already sitting with other girls, and Amber was already sitting with Russel, and fuck Russel. The crown worker smiled at them with 100% fake-ness and explained that, when their name is called, they go to the couch on the left of the room for their interview with the prince. Everyone would get an allotted 4 minutes, and quick mental math had Edward wanting to rub his temple.

This was going to take over 2 hours before everyone had a turn. 

“Man, that’s a long time.” The other blond to his right groaned, matching Edward’s exact thoughts. He was taller and looked a bit older, but slouched disinterestedly while absent-mindedly chewing his lip. 

He might not be so bad to talk to.

“It is.” Edward agreed, leaning back himself. “Breakfast better be worth it.”

The man chuckled. “Hell, yeah. It better be.” 

At the slight profanity, the blonde woman to Edward’s left shot the guy a glare. “I hope you don’t use that mouth when you’re in the presence of the king and queen of our country, Jean.”

“Riza, don’t be like that. They’re not even here yet.” He whined.

Edward raised his eyebrows, the names sounding familiar. “Hey, you guys are in the military, right?”

Riza curtly nodded, but Jean perked up instantly. “Yup! We trained as cadets and were deployed in different districts, so we never saw each other again until now! Isn’t this a great way to reunite?”

“Hardly.” Riza spoke up, looking annoyed, but Edward noticed the slightest smile on her lips. From either knowing her enough or from noticing it too, Jean went on undeterred and held his hand out to Edward.

“I’m Havoc, Jean. But feel free to call me just Jean.”

“Elric, Edward. Same for me.” He grinned, taking his hand and shaking it.

“And this beautiful lady over here is-”

“Stop.” Riza warned her friend, cold eyes going  _ slightly _ softer only when she switched her gaze to look at Edward. 

“Hawkeye.” She introduced.

“Riza! Don’t be like that!” Jean admonished, but Edward just laughed and shook his head. “It’s fine. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hawkeye.”

Riza actually broke another small smile at that. “You too, Elric.”

Jean in turn rolled his eyes. “We’re not in the military right now. No need to be so formal, guys-” He trailed off, effectively silenced by a single glare from the woman, which had Edward grinning. What an interesting pair these two were. 

Before he could get to know the both further, the entire room went completely silent as the royal family walked in. King and Queen Bradley entered first, the pair in clothing and sashes that did not leave room to question them for royalty, and tired but happy smiles on their wrinkled faces. Despite their age, it was clear to see how handsome and pretty they both had been, and, to some degree, still were. Everyone stood from where they sat to deeply curtsy, Edward following his new friends’ lead and doing the same, and they all remained standing by the time the prince walked in.

Mustang was wearing a dashing white traditional prince jacket, a vibrant blue sash matching his navy dress pants, and his charming smile completely shattered the silent revere that the Selected had. 

Curtsies were rushed and completely not in sync, there were giggles and even squeals, shifting and fidgeting, and even an undeniable buzzing air of excitement as everyone met the prince of Amestris for the first time. 

That is, everyone except for Edward.

The prince’s eyes scanned the room as he smiled, and the blond could have sworn that those dark eyes landed on him for an extra second longer than on everyone else. He slightly shook his head to himself. Now was not the time to be ridiculous, it’s probably just in his head. 

Thankfully, not wasting anytime, the prince stood by the pair of couches by the window as the first Selected was called, which was Lust. At first, Edward wasn’t sure if they were being called in a particular order, but figured it out as soon as Greed and Ling were the next ones; they were being called in order of caste. 

So, being a Five, he and Rose would be last. Great.

The king and queen were sitting in plush chairs at the head of the room, but they were also decently far away from everyone else and they kept to themselves, the Queen sharing conversations with one of the many guards or servants at her helm while the King just watched the room. 

“None of us will have the chance to talk to the royal family until there’s less of us.” Riza observed, keeping her posture straight while the boys leaned back. They’re all going to be stuck in this room for a while anyway.

“When there’s less of us?” Edward repeated, unsure of why that would matter.

“A lot of us forget, but this isn’t just the prince finding a spouse. This is the king and queen finding a son or daughter to adopt. Everyone knows this is one of the first major eliminations, so they won’t want to risk getting close to anyone that just might end up leaving.”

“Huh. I didn’t really think about that.”

To be fair, Edward never considered the Selection as a good thing. It was a harem for a prince and entertainment for the whole country, but underneath all of that, what Riza said was also true. The prince was hoping to get married by the end and his parents were hoping to have a new addition to the family, which couldn’t be less than a daunting undertaking. Edward glanced over at the prince, who was currently interviewing some Two he didn’t know the name of, and briefly tried to figure out how much Mustang was of the person that the blond had  _ assumed _ he was.

What kind of person was he _really,_ though?

“Do you guys..” He started, nervous that the question would offend them but proceeding anyway, “Do you guys know whether you already love him?”

Jean blinked, his easy-going nature pausing as he seriously took in the question, crossing his arms. Riza was the one that spoke up after a moment.

“I love Amestris. For now, that’s good enough.”

Edward nodded. Her answer was chivalrous, even admirable, but it didn’t help quell his own anxieties forming in his stomach.

“I think-” Jean began, looking embarrassed, “I think it’s hard to love someone you’ve never met before... but I think all of us here are open and willing to try. That’s what really matters.” 

_ All of us here are open and willing to try… _

Edward felt himself tense. Was he? He had promised Al, sure, but that was mostly to tolerate the prince to be able to stay longer for mom’s medicine. He didn’t actually think that they’d have a chance of actually becoming something, though. When it came to romance, the blond had never had time for it, being too busy or highly disinterested in general. As embarrassing as it was, he was a complete virgin of an 18 year old; he’d never even kissed anyone, or held hands, or dated. He didn’t know how to even go about having feelings like that. Would he really want to be opening himself to such vast unknown? It felt so much safer to just stick with the plan of staying as long as possible competitively, but nothing more. Especially nothing more with the prince. 

“That’s true,” Edward agreed with Jean, lying.

He  _ wasn’t _ going to be open for something like that, Alphonse could find him and beat him for it later if he wanted to, but Edward wasn’t changing his mind on that matter. 

He most definitely, won’t ever,  _ never, _ fall for Mustang. 

Besides, why would the prince ever fall for him back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof. Go ahead and tell yourself that Ed. We believe you.


	4. How Did You Sleep?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I hope we all see each other at breakfast.” Edward expressed, giving them thankful smiles just in case he’d never see them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh, I love you guys so much!!! I got so many comments on the last chapter than ever, and this is one of my first fanfics so each one makes me so immensely happy! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

It was 2 hours in, and Edward wanted to die. 

Almost everyone had been interviewed by that point, expect for a Four and Rose and himself, which was making him very relieved and anxious at once. On the bright side, he was closer to either going home or having breakfast, but on the other hand, he was closer to having his interview with Roy. 

“Are you nervous?” Jean asked, noticing the young blond’s expression. Edward gave him a withering smile in response, admittedly touched by his concern. He liked Jean and Riza a lot, especially as he got to grow more acquainted with them throughout the long waiting-for-an-interview session, and was pleasantly surprised to find the pair more than interesting. 

Jean was very easy going, but very thoughtful and mature in his own right, and the jokes he tried cracking were uplifting, albeit cheesy. Riza, on the other hand, seemed almost rigid and cold in comparison, but Edward could see through the slight quirk of her lips and through her witty remarks that she was very kind and intelligent. The blond was only upset that he couldn’t have met the pair sooner, or been able to have been stuck on a 6 hour jet flight with _them_ instead of with Russel and Amber. Rose was okay, but a little too naively optimistic for his liking. 

“Nah, not really. It’s just a little stressful, I guess.” Edward confessed. 

Jean nodded contemplatively. “Yeah, for sure. But don’t worry! The four minutes go by really fast!”

Riza offered a nod in agreement, and, coming from her, that was just as comforting as the older blond’s words. 

“That’s actually the worst part, though.” 

“You wouldn’t want it to go by fast??”  
“Well, I don’t want to feel rushed either.” Edward pointed out.

Jean laughed. “I think you might be overthinking this a tad bit too much there.”

“Is it that obvious?” He grinned. 

“A little.”

The lax smile on Edward’s face fell though, as the last Four in the room came back to rejoin the Selected. Fives were next. 

The crown worker came to the center of the room from the side of the wall she’d been leaning against all morning, making a note on her clipboard as she called out.

“Rose Thomas!”

Edward didn’t know if being last out of everyone had him feeling better or worse. He watched worriedly as the girl walked over to the prince, who kindly stood to meet her and kissed her hand before sitting down with her by the window. He had done the same with everyone, the blond noticed, and couldn’t help but briefly wonder if their altercation from last night would have Mustang acting differently with him. He kinda hoped not, for the sake of others noticing, but at the same time he did, desperately not wanting any romantic show of affection, polite induced or otherwise.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come in the next 4 minutes while Riza and Jean shared a sympathizing look with him. It was a long and agonizing moment up until the crown worker took to the center of the room, calling him as Rose sat back down.

“I hope we all see each other at breakfast.” Edward expressed, giving them thankful smiles just in case he’d never see them again. He got up and turned before they could reply, feeling surprisingly more collected than he thought he would be. 

“Hey,” He greeted, hoping to sound casual as he approached the prince. Despite having talked with 35 other people for the past 2 hours, Mustang didn’t look the least bit tired to see him. Unfortunately - fortunately?- the prince proceeded as he did with everyone else, and gently took Edward’s hand to place a chaste kiss.

“Hello, again.” He beamed. 

Edward could only do his best to try to look unimpressed. 

“Well, first off, I’d just like to clear the air real quick,” the blond began, gratefully taking the seat as his legs were suddenly feeling wobbly. He had over 2 hours to think about what he’d say to Mustang in the small amount of time he had, so he had to get what he wanted to say out of the way first. There was no time for preamble or niceties. 

“I haven’t had the chance to properly apologize to you, so-”

Mustang, who had been nonchalantly dragging his gaze down Edward’s body, suddenly stilled with confusion, eyes snapping up.

“Apologize?”

The blond had to clear his throat as he decided to pretend he didn’t see what he just saw, sticking to his mission and going for a straightforward approach.

“I’m sorry that I kicked you in the balls.”

Mustang made a noise similar to choking, and, for a second, Edward was afraid he actually was with how red his face got. Then he broke out into sharp, loud laughter. 

“Pardon?” He said, despite clearly hearing it.

The blond shifted uncomfortably, unsure what was so funny about it as the prince took a moment to continue laughing. “Excuse me, it’s just-” He tried, putting a hand on his chest as if that would stop it from shaking. “That was very crass phrasing, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Edward blinked, not realizing what he meant until he repeated his own words to himself. 

“Oh, shit.” He muttered, under his breath.

The prince of Amestris probably wouldn’t be the sort of person to say ‘balls’ like that.

”So I’m gonna guess that’s not the type of vocabulary you were raised to use?” Edward asked, grinning despite himself and his embarrassment.

“Most definitely _not_ the type of vocabulary I’d use.” Mustang confirmed, finally through his laughing fit. He was still smiling like mad, though. “Nonetheless, I graciously accept your apology.”

Edward couldn’t help but playfully roll his eyes. “And I am therefore most humbly indebted to your courteous mercy on my behalf of committed grave error.”

Mustang looked at him equally part amused and perplexed. “Are you mocking me?” He grinned.

“Indulging.” Edward corrected.

“How kind of you.” 

The blond replied with a sharp grin of his own, his chest already feeling lighter from getting his apology over and done with; but that was only half the battle.

“So,” Mustang began, “How did you sleep, my darl- er-” He paused, catching himself again. “Elric.”

“Thank you,” Edward breathed, feeling his expression softened. “Um, that’s the other thing I’d like to talk to you about… if that’s okay.” The blond noticed that his own hands had begun to fidget with a crease on his thigh, now feeling unsure about how to go about this, but Mustang was patiently waiting for him to continue. “I… I realized that I had made a lot of assumptions about you before we met and so, especially because of the papers, I figured the worst intentions from you. I thought you used the term as some casual show of authority over us or as some condescending pet name, which is why I- er, reacted the way I did.” He shrugged, his gaze averted. “And I could’ve totally gone to jail because of last night, but I didn’t- so, um… thank you.” Edward breathed, ducking his head.

Mustang was silent for a moment and was regarding him with an expression the blond couldn’t really read, the only emotion recognizable being something akin to looking mystified. Then he smiled.

“Does that mean I can call you ‘my darling’?”

Edward lightly scoffed and, for the first time since arriving at the castle, laughed completely genuinely. “Hell, no. That’s not happening.” 

“Pity.”

“Sure it is.”

“Although, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Hm?” Edward perked, raising his eyebrows.

Mustang looked at him in a way that somehow had his heart tripping for a split second. 

“How did you sleep?”

“Oh, um-” The blond couldn’t help but slightly flush, the question strangely striking him as overly personal. “I mean- despite everything, it was actually fine. I kinda knocked out as soon as I had gone back to the room.” He confessed, sparing a glance at Mustang. “How about you?”

The prince raised his own eyebrows in turn, seemingly not expected the same question to turn on him. “Well, I’ve had worse nights. Thank you for asking.”

So he had a bad night? He hadn’t outright said that, but...

“Um,” Edward started, unable to keep his curiosity contained, “It was because something was worrying you, right? I mean, that’s what you had said in the garden, but...” He trailed off, looking at Mustang tentatively, unsure if he was overstepping. Conversely, the prince was looking back at him with the same strange expression again. It was a mix of looking contemplatively and awe-struck at once, but so subtle that anyone not as close as would have thought his face was blank; the blond couldn’t even begin to guess what the man was thinking. They leveled one another for a long moment, before Mustang blinked as if snapping out of a daze. 

“Ah,” He startled suddenly, looking at his pocket watch, “I’m afraid that’s all the time we have left.” He gave Edward an apologetic smile, but the blond was squinting back at him with suspicion. Was he avoiding the question or did he just get lucky? Both?

Edward didn’t have the luxury to figure it out, having to stand as they concluded the interview. Mustang gave a small bow, as he had done with everyone, and the blond bowed in return, trying to not show his confusion when they both looked up to meet each other's gaze again. 

“It was nice speaking to you, my- um…. Elric.”

The blond broke a grin, idly wondering how many times the prince would mess that up before getting used to it; nonetheless he appreciated his effort. “Likewise… er, your highness…?”

Roy returned the blond’s smile and shook his head, “Please, feel free to call me Mustang.”

“Mustang.” He repeated, feeling slightly dizzy as he suddenly became hyper aware of everyone’s eyes on them. Edward was the last one, after all, so everyone must be waiting for the cue that they finished so that they could leave. He didn’t want to keep them all waiting, or staring, so the blond slightly dipped his head- for lack of a better parting, having already formally exchanged bows- and turned around to walk away.

Thankfully, reading the cue instantly, the crown worker went to the center to dismiss everyone to their rooms.

“You’ll be let known whether you’ll pack and leave, or if you will join the royal family for breakfast, within the next half hour.” She said.

Having been stuck in the room all morning, everyone was quick to disperse and exit, Edward leaving with the rest in the back of the group. He didn’t see Riza or Jean, since they were in front of the mass, but didn’t mind since he already gave them his potentially-last words, and since he would’ve been embarrassed if they had waited for him. 

Besides, if they all got through this, they’d see each other at breakfast. 

Edward grimaced to himself, remembering that _not_ getting disqualified was highly unlikely. Maybe he should get a head-start and begin packing right away. Maybe he should just try to sleep again. He rubbed his temple, admittedly feeling slightly stressed under the prospect of having to wait for another half hour. At the very least, he had said what he needed to with the prince. He was kinda surprised he got away with it, since it was supposed to be an interview of answering questions instead of answering misunderstandings, but the blond was glad that it was off his chest.

Now, if he went home, he’d had no lingering guilt or regret.

When he finally got to his room- after taking a long minute to scrutinize every identical door in a vain attempt to make sure which one was his- he let out a deep breath of relief to finally be alone.

His maids weren’t there, as they were the ones that would either pick him up to go to the dining hall or arrive to help him pack his things, so he took the rare opportunity with gratitude. Mei had made it clear they were going to be by his side nearly every moment in his room otherwise. To wait for half an hour with nothing to do was still rather pointless, however, so Edward didn’t last that long idly sitting in the recliner in the corner. 

Instead, the blond made his way to the desk, similar to the night before, but this time he knew exactly what he wanted to write as he got out a paper and pen.

_Dear Alphonse and Mom,_

Edward paused, taking a moment to remember that these would be read by official crown workers for approval before getting sent, so he quickly revised his thoughts mentally. Taking a deep breath, he began to write:

_If you’re reading this, then that means I’ve miraculously been spared from the first major elimination, and have lasted a full day at the castle. If not, then... Well, I’d be currently home with you guys. Whether I’m gone for a day or for weeks, know that I miss you both anyways. And yes Al, even your annoying stray-cat-adopting and the times you steal my music for your own gigs. I miss that. Don’t worry mom, I’ll be sure to keep practicing my instruments while I’m here, too. I’m sure the castle has them, I just have to ask my maids to borrow some. Speaking of maids, can you believe they gave all 36 Selected their own set of three? I’m definitely not used to it at all. But I think you’d be happy to know that the head maid, Mei, is a lot like you, Al. She already doesn’t put up with my bullshit, which I know you would’ve proudly taken the role of if you were here. You two would probably get along. You’d like the halls, too. There’s so many grand paintings everywhere hung as normal decor, and I wish you were here instead of me because I know you’d appreciate it more. And mom, you’d love the gardens. They have so many trees and flowers, and even inside there’s vases everywhere. I really don’t belong in a place like this… but I’m sure I’ll adjust. I’ll try to send letters as often as possible, so you guys better not forget about me._

_Stay safe,_

_Edward E._

He looked at his letter for a moment, trying to think if he left anything out, before he groaned as he realized what the first question on his brother’s lips would be. Might as well answer him now…

_P.S. Yes Al, I have to admit, the bastard isn’t THAT bad. So far. But still. Don’t ask me about it._

Satisfied that Alphonse would know who he was talking about with the ‘code name’ and satisfied that the letter would get let through by security, he gently folded it in thirds, taking only a few seconds to find envelopes in the desk. By the time it was signed and sealed, there was a knock on his door that made Edward jump.

Oh yeah, how could he forget. He was kinda in the Selection. 

“Am I going home?” He immediately asked, opening the door to an irritated looking Mei.

“No, silly. What did I tell you?”

The blond stared at her for a second, unbelieving. 

“You mean-?”

“You’re not eliminated.”

Edward let out of breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. He honestly didn’ think he’d make it; for crying out loud, he was a Five! 

“Oh,” Was all he said, just standing there before remembering. “Oh!” He repeated, quickly ducking back inside his room. “In that case, could you have this get sent for me, please?” He asked, showing Mei the letter he’d just retrieved from the desk. She gave him a look as if she didn’t know whether to berate or make fun of him for already writing to his family, but instead ended up not saying anything. 

“Of course.” She said, taking it from the blond. 

Without sparing another glance at him, Mei began to walk down the hall, so Edward quickly closed his door and followed her.

“Where are Claudia and Jasmine?” He asked after a while of silence, equally baffled that the halls were completely empty.

“They’re working in the maids’ quarters because only I needed to pick you up. Remember where you’re going, by the way. You’re not always going to be escorted to breakfast like some toddler.”

Edward grimaced at the comparison. “Yeah, yeah…” He glanced around again only to still not find anyone else. “Where is everyone?”

“Like the other Selected?”

“Yeah.”

“The ones that made it through are all at breakfast already, waiting for you. The ones that didn’t… probably still crying in their rooms.” She grinned mischievously, as if greatly amused with the idea of Selected being in tears. 

“Wait-!” Edward startled. “Why am I the last one? Everyone is waiting for me???”

Mei looked back at him exasperatedly. 

“Don’t you worry your goldie-locks head over it. Not by long, and you’re only last because you were interviewed last, meaning I wasn’t told your status until his royal highness had gone down the rest of the list.”

“Oh..”

That still wasn’t the most helpful, as he’d undoubtedly draw a lot of attention walking in last to breakfast. Fantastic. 

“Here we are! I hope you paid attention because I’m not showing you again!”

Shit.

He’d kinda got distracted halfway through and missed the last few turns she had made, and now had no idea how he got there.

“Mei- wait-!” Edward reached his arm, but it was futile. The maid was gone, already disappearing behind the corner and leaving the blond on his own, in front of the most imposing set of tall double doors he had ever seen. Not giving himself enough time to start getting nervous or overthinking it, he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, pushing the doors open. 

The room was huge.

Tall windows took up an entire wall, while long cream drapes and large grand paintings took the others. In the middle was a dangling chandelier, but the painted ceiling was so high that it would take craning his neck all the way to get a proper look at it, and the titles were almost a mosaic in their own right, craftedly cut creams and browns making the dining hall inviting while elegant. At the head of the room, was an elevated grand table housing the royal family. The king sat in the middle, and to his right was Mustang, the queen and only other son to the left of him. In front of them was what looked like three tables put together in a ‘u’ shape, where all of the Selected were sitting. Everyone was able to see each other with the box-shape set up; no one sat across, but only next to each other, the center side of the tables bare.

The royal family saw him as he entered easily, but thankfully most Selected didn’t have the chance to stare as they faced away from the doors. Although, it didn’t save him from the ones closer on the sides and from the ones who were able to unabashedly twist their backs around for a look. Ignoring the eyes following him to the best of his ability, Edward walked up to what looked like the last open seat left, a chair on the table facing the royal family’s. He wasn’t right on the corner, but close enough to easily talk to someone on the joining table if he wanted to. 

Edward sat down, taking a moment to look around for familiar faces to see who had made it.

It was with delight he saw Riza and Jean still, and with surprise that Rose was also there too… but not Amber. Amber, who had held herself like perfect princess material, had not gotten through. So maybe the prince really wasn’t the type of man Edward had assumed he was at all, and wanted to actually find someone to love rather than a pretty face that could handle the media press of the people while never offending anyone. On the other hand, the prince’s tastes and motives were still questionable, as somehow Russel had gotten through and was sitting only two seats away from him. Edward’s eyes widened once he finished taking everyone in, the group significantly smaller than before. Sure enough, he counted, and nearly balked at the drop in numbers.

22 of them were left.

It was barely breakfast of the first day, and they were already down by not 10, but by 14. 

How in the hell had _he_ managed to get through?

Edward looked at Mustang, subconsciously expecting to find answers, but none came. The prince only looked as regal as ever next to the rest of the royal family, and despite having been the adopted son of the first late queen, he looked just like the rest of them with his dark hair and well-bred features. The only discernible difference were his dark eyes, as they were sharper than the king’s and queen’s rounded ones, and, although the biological son of the second and current queen, Selim, was barely a toddler, it was clear his eyes would be the same as his parents’. Nonetheless, Edward found the slight differences between the prince and his family to be rather appealing, his face strangely looking like a perfect blend of noble Amestris and Xing descent. 

Almost as if he felt the blond’s gaze, Mustang glanced at Edward, a look immediately forming that clearly said ‘look who I caught staring’, and the prince broke into a triumph smirk. Refusing to show his embarrassment, Edward met the prince’s gaze across the room steadily, fighting for his blush to go down as they continued their short face off. Mustang didn’t back down either, and merely raised his eyebrows a fraction before the blond broke and had to look down, his face undeniably red.

Fucking bastard.

Thankfully, it had only lasted a minute, and no one else seemed to have noticed as King Bradely was now standing, his arms opened wide as he addressed the entire room.

“Congratulations,” He began, looking overly kind, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes strangely exaggerated as if faked, “All of you sitting here now have proven to be worthwhile and interesting to my son, and have therefore earned the full privilege and title of being a Selected. Along with breakfast today, you will receive your schedule for the week, as potentially becoming the next prince or princess of Amestris is no easy feat. There will be classes on etiquette and politics, but I believe you all have the capacity to excel. I wish you all luck, and from the bottom of my heart, I hope that my future child-in-law will love my son with all of their heart.” He finished, sitting down. 

Applause immediately broke out from the entire room, excitement buzzing as everyone began to anticipate their new lives in the castle. Edward could only feel apprehension. He honestly did _not_ plan making it this far.

There was a shift in the room as servants began to set everyone’s plates on the table, using the inner side of table arrangement to not disturb or reach around anyone. Along with the ungodly amount of utensils and expensive looking china, they placed a small stack of papers.

‘Selection Schedule and Information,’ the top read. 

Edward immediately took to reading the contents, evidently not the only one as other Selected made noises of surprise and acknowledgement around him. On the page that held the detailed schedule, the blond was dismayed to find many days including classes or workshops. The sheer amount made the Selection seem like it was more of a ‘Becoming-Royalty School’ than a competition for the prince’s heart, and Edward was already dreading the workload. Even more, the schedule required them to show up and eat breakfast and dinner in the dining hall, only lunch getting a pass to be more lenient and optional, and a morning session requiring all of the Selected to congregate in the drawing room for at least an entire hour for ‘socializing’. 

Even better. 

“Why do we have to take _horse riding lessons_?” The girl sitting next to Edward idly asked out loud. She was yet another blonde, but looked younger than Riza and closer to Edward’s age, her blue eyes startling bright.

“It’ll probably be our only means of transportation if we stay here in this medieval castle.” The redhead on the other side of Edward joked, raising some amused glances or giggles from others overhearing nearby.

“Was my driving license for nothing?” 

Another guy, but this time from the cornering table, grinned and scoffed. “What does a female Four like you need to be driving around, for?” 

Despite looking and sounding amused, the tension the remark suddenly evoked had everyone who had been listening shifting their gazes to their own plates, even the redhead shifting uncomfortably and averting his eyes. The girl, however, easily held her ground.

“To see my patients.”  
“Patients?”

“I’m a _doctor_.” She clarified, looking mildly offended but otherwise composed.

“That has to be a lie. You’d be a Three otherwise.”

“Automail mechanic. But a doctor all the same.” She replied, glaring. 

The guy just laughed, amusedly jabbing the girl next to him with his elbow that was also looking very entertained, and most likely another Three. 

“Get a load of this, Claire. This blondie thinks that being a lowly mechanic is the same as a doctor. What do you think your father, a _real doctor_ , would have to say to this?”

Claire giggled behind her long acrylic nails and tossed a lock of bleached platinum hair behind her shoulder, over exaggerating each movement. “Oh, Cartsen... he’d have _nothing_ to say to a mechanic. It’s not worth the breath.”

The pair laughed again and were seemingly not alone with the sentiment as a few other Selected cast pitying or amused glances at the targeted blonde. 

“Is there really nothing more redeeming about you two that you have to pull caste and act like your parents’ achievements are your own?” Edward cut in, idly twirling a fork on his empty plate before looking up at the two, “You guys probably haven’t done jackshit with your lives from how it sounds everything’s been just handed to you.”

Claire was decent even to look slightly put-off, but Cartsen only sat taller and continued to grin, albeit strained. 

“Oh and if it isn’t the Five-”

“We’re all officially Threes now, last time I checked. It’s called being accepted in the Selection, said right there on top when you signed.” Edward retorted, eliciting some murmurs of acknowledgement and agreement from those nearby.

“He’s right…” The redhead from before hesitantly spoke up.

“Not Threes by blood. And we all know a _purebred_ between a fake when we see one.” Cartsen seethed, no longer bothering to hide his anger. His statement’s impact was lessened, however, as servants began to serve breakfast in front of everyone, the tension starting to break as enticing aromas and dishes stole some attention. 

“ _Purebreds_? What are we- dogs or dough?” Edward joked, picking up a roll of bread, that had just been put on his plate, for emphasis. The redhead next to him made a strangled noise as some Selected who overheard laughed, and even Russell, from two seats away, smiled and rolled his eyes at the pun. And just like that, as the rest of the room’s volume increased with excited chatter from other parts of the table uniting over the universal appeal of food, all of the built-up tension shattered. 

Cartsen could only look appalled between those by Edward’s chair that had not taken his own side, taking a long moment before shaking his head as if he couldn’t care less and turning away. Those who had watched the development shifted their interest as well, everyone for the most part happily changing the subject as a plethora of dishes were now being offered from carts and trays.

“First of all,” The girl next to Edward started, blue eyes looking at him for the first time, “That was by far the worst pun I have _ever_ heard. Second of all, I’m not going to thank you because I had everything under control, but...” Her expression softened and she playfully bumped his shoulder. “Thanks, I guess.”

Edward could only grin, feeling a bit powerful to have gotten away with a bad joke at the table full of mostly-strangers, and just shrugged. “No need. He was pissing me off anyway.”

“So I figured.” 

Edward nodded, looking to his plate in excitement and beginning to stack up on serving himself pancakes when a feeling of the girl still watching him made him pause. He looked at her questioningly, to which she smiled and held out her hand.

“I’m Winry.”

Edward felt his eyes widened as he suddenly remembered her from the Selection announcements. “I’m Edward,” He easily returned, “You’re from Rushvalley, right?” 

“Yeah! It’s the hub for automail, after all.”

“That’s cool.” He unabashedly admitted, taking a large bite of pancake unceremoniously. His eyebrows raised a fraction as he was suddenly caught off guard by the way his taste buds exploded. Damn, those are _good_. 

“Hey, is that the butter on your side?” He asked, pointing with his fork. Winry looked up from serving herself eggs and bacon and nodded, grabbing it and passing it over for him without having to be asked. 

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” She returned, looking a lot more comfortable than before. “Oh, could you pass me the salt that’s over there?”

Edward turned to his other side, surprised to be met with the redhead already handing it over. 

“I thought your joke was actually kinda funny.” He said, smiling a little sheepishly as Edward accepted the salt. “I’m Jayden, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you.” The blond grinned, glad to find himself seated between two decent people yet again. 

It was a miracle, really.

He and Winry ended up talking about automail for the entirety of breakfast, Edward asking thorough questions that were dutifully answered, which got input from Jayden occasionally, the three of them surprisingly making good company. By the time they walked away to go to their dorms, the blond was positive he’d just made another pair of friends.

Oh, if only Alphonse could see him now.

Edward looked at his schedule, regarding it a lot more appreciatively than last time, and was glad to see that he was free for the next 2 hours. Flipping to the page with the map, he grinned to himself in almost childish excitement as he knew _exactly_ where he wanted to go next. 

“Edward,”

The blond pivoted to see who was calling him, his lax smile falling and quickly being replaced with a strained grimace.

Going to the library will have to fucking wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Already building up the FMA:B cannon parallels with this AU, like how automail exists in this technologically advanced society (but rip not alchemy) and with how Bradley is King and Mustang is next in line despite being not at all related biologically. Also if Bradly's title was Fuhrer, and his first name was literally King, with the title of King in this AU, does that make his full name and title 'King King Bradley'? xD Amazing consideration on my part, oof. Oh well, it's already done. And poor Ed let him read books, dammit!


	5. New Surroundings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, maybe he could genuinely thank Al now for signing him up. He was in love. Not with the prince, but his brother didn’t need to know that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, new chapter!!! Introducing routine and setting is always the least interesting sometimes, but things will flow much better once they're established! I hope you guys enjoy! And thank you again for commenting!!! They really make my day!  
> Edit: Fixed a few typos! Thank you so much for Proserpine_Fall bringing one to my attention! Also fixed this one weirdly worded sentence, but other than that, nothing else haha. I am absolutely enamored with all of your comments, especially how fast they came! So although I don't have the time to reply to all of them just yet, please know that I read them and appreciate them to bits!!!

“What the fuck do you want?” 

“I need to ask you something.” Russell said, looking like a man on the mission.

Edward frowned and crossed his arms. The Four had two other Selected behind him, looking rather determined themselves, and he couldn’t recall their names, but vaguely recognized them. Great. He already had some posse.

Edward considered already to not even bother with them and to walk away, but the seriousness in their gazes made him curious to what answer they wanted so bad, and, despite how it looked, he knew they weren’t going to gang up on him in some kind of throw down. They were probably definitely the type to bully others in that group like that, but the blond was confident he wouldn’t let anything of the sort happen, and that they weren’t into violence but into spouting bullshit to get under people’s skin. Probably.

Either way, he had a feeling that ‘beating him up’ was not what they were there for. 

“What?” He asked, letting his irritation sharpen the word. He wanted to visit the library, god dammit.

“What did you tell Prince Mustang in the interview?”

Edward felt his eyebrows shoot up, his annoyance slightly stalling and his back straightening.

“Huh?”

Russell rolled his eyes. “What did you tell Prince Mustang in the interview?” He repeated, elongating every word as if he was speaking to a child.

Edward thought for a moment, firstly wondering if ‘Prince Mustang’ was what everyone was calling him, and then wondering why the hell he cared. He shifted into a defensive posture again as he figured Russell was probably just trying to dig for information, the dick.

“Why do you wanna know?” He countered.

“Oh, don’t fucking give me that.” Russell groused, “What joke did you tell him?”

Edward got even more confused. “Joke? _What_ joke?”

He rolled his eyes again and threw his hands up, exasperated. “You said something in the beginning of your interview with him that made him laugh. Loud. Everyone heard, so don’t even pretend that you didn’t. And you know that no one else made him laugh. So spill.”

Edward blinked. 

“Oh my fucking god.” Russell cursed. He uncrossed his arms and strided closer. “We want to know so that we can figure out his sense of humour, _obviously_ .” He said, his tone conveying the most _‘duh’_ Edward had ever heard. “It’d be an unfair advantage if you kept that kind of information to yourself.”

He stood there for a moment, not knowing what Russell was even talking about, before his eyes widened. 

Oh. 

He never told Roy a joke. He had made him laugh when he apologized bluntly, using crude vocabulary. And it’s not like that was his humour, because the blond was pretty sure he just caught the prince off guard, and randomness doesn’t count as a ‘sense’ of humour because that could get anyone, depending what was subjectively ‘random’ to them. Unfortunately, Russell caught the look of realization, and waited expectedly still, making Edward grimace.

That was going to be hard to explain. 

Also it was more than kind of risky to expose that it was an apology for assault. 

“I didn’t tell him a joke.” He answered honestly instead. Unsurprisingly, Russell looked offended and far from convinced. He opened his mouth, probably about to cuss him out or something, before Edward cut him off first.

“Listen, that’s the truth. All I did was say something that sounded stupid.”

They eyed each other for a moment, Russell unabashedly searching for some kind of signal that would expose what he thought was a lie, but didn’t find any. “Fine.” He sighed, backing up, his two friends behind him sharing disappointed glances. “I’ll let it go, for now. But only because you defended Fours back there at breakfast.”

Edward scoffed. Was that what that was supposed to be? His thanks? 

“I could care less about that. I just don’t have an affinity for pricks who use castes to think they’re above others.” He retorted, his gaze pointedly at Russell as he said that.

The Four had the decency to look a little called out, but otherwise kept his scowl and irritated demeanor. “So, I’ve noticed.” He said, crossing his arms again. A lot less aggressively than before, he inquisitively raised an eyebrow. “So you just said something stupid?” He asked again, wanting to make sure.

Edward shrugged. “Pretty sure that’s the only reason he laughed.”

Russell’s expression suddenly shifted to something different as he regarded Edward with an inkling of amusement.

“Alright then.” He conceded, thankfully taking the opportunity to take his leave with his little group. Edward almost felt relieved, but Russell wasn’t completely done as he looked over his shoulder while walking away, casting him a smug look.

“I guess the prince has a thing dumb blonds then. I must admit, I can’t compete with you in _that_ department.”

The other two Selected snickered at that, but Edward only shot them a flat look and didn’t bother to reply with anything. Man, Russell was _almost_ starting to seem like less of a dick before the end there, too. Oh well. Edward lightly shook his head to himself and turned back around, continuing down his original route. He only spent a millisecond, no, even less, privately feeling satisfaction at the new fact that he was the only one that made Roy laugh. Totally didn’t really care about it, though, and he _definitely_ did not spend a brief moment wondering if that meant anything. 

Totally.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and huffed to himself; he had more important matters to think about, such as how he can finally go to the library. Thank god.

There weren't a lot of things Edward could confidently say he enjoyed, but being surrounded by vast shelves of books and the smell of paper was definitely one of them. He used to be able to visit the local library with Al, before work got too busy and before the leftover funds from their dead-beat dad ran out, and it by far held his best childhood memories. During school, reading was all he did there, as the instruction was way too dumbed-down for him. As much as he hated their dad for leaving them, he could admit he appreciated the room of advanced books he left behind, he and Al were easily able to teach themselves using the collection in many fields of study. Especially in math and science. Reading anything new was always interesting to Edward, and as cheesy as it sounded he fucking _loved_ to learn. When it was by his own jurisdiction, of course. He didn’t know what a library in a castle would look like, but whatever small expectations he subconsciously had were completely blown out of the water as he opened the doors and saw it for the first time.

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

Walls at least four stories high led up to an intricate glass dome that filtered the enormous room of dark mahogany wood with soft light, dust particles prettily drifting in the shafts, and it was filled entirely of _books_ . A center statue piece in goldleaf just as tall took center, as two grand staircases wrapped around it that led to balconies which bordered the space high above, and rolling ladders adorned every couple shelves to compensate for the sheer height of them. That large room wasn’t even the entire library, as Edward found himself peeking through an archway by the door, seeing another room, and then jogging, through hallways that led to more rooms, and then _running_ as each new section had him in disbelief that there could be even _more_ further down. It somehow ended up connected to the top balcony under the dome again, as Edward found himself there and paused to look over the railing, at a loss of breath both physically and mentally. The place was huge. Sitting rooms and study rooms, and even an aquarium, were a few of the other sections the library contained, and every single one was surrounded by books _still_. 

Edward didn’t know if he was overwhelmed or in shock as he walked through the entire library again, this time slowly, to read every gold-plated label on pillars between shelves, his head spinning. He didn’t know where to look first. He wanted to properly look through, if not read, everything, but he knew that he wouldn’t last long enough to have nearly enough time. God, how he would love to straight up _live_ there though.

Eventually, after touring the entire place a third time, he settled on picking the most interesting titles from a few sections, including biology and some philosophy studies, and took the entire stack to a room he found on the second floor. It wasn’t on the balcony under the dome, but was instead a small room that had a few shelves on the history of weapon development. The reason Edward liked it though, was because it was by far the most comfortable atmosphere, as it had this one tall bay window seat in the corner that was plush and adorned with pillows, right next to a small table with a lamp if he should want to sit rather than lay down. It was so cozy though, as he could practically soak up the sun and feel completely at ease behind the tall shelves that blocked the corner from view of the door.

Edward put the stack on the table, picking the top book, titled _The Science of the Human Mind_ , to start flipping through, laying on the window seat, which was more comfortable than a bed somehow. 

Okay, maybe he could genuinely thank Al now for signing him up. He was in _love_. Not with the prince, but his brother didn’t need to know that.

It was with the most dismay he’d ever felt when he glanced over at a nearby grandfather clock and saw the time, the hands reading that it was time for his morning ‘social’ session. Edward groaned and pulled himself up, feeling rather upset that he only got to read a few chapters in. He stood and stretched, glancing around and deciding to leave his pre-picked stack of books there. The tables and shelves had these thin layers of dust that told him that this room was probably hardly walked into, so he wasn’t too worried about having a servant pick them up while cleaning. Instead, he only took the one book he still had in his hand, glumly making his way out of the intricate library, nearly getting lost before finding the main area with the dome and being able to figure it out from there. 

Finding his way once out of the hallway was another matter, but the papers he still had were easy to read, so he was only a minute or two late once he got to the drawing room where all the other Selected were. This room was supposed to be special, because it was the one place that even the prince himself wasn't allowed to enter, thus making it the safe haven from the competition. It was supposed to be a place where the Selected could drop the fact that they were fighting each other and to relax and socialize, but Edward didn’t see it as very accomplished. It was essentially just another ‘high school cafeteria’ situation. People already formed their groups, and somehow managed to make the opposing lines very obvious despite the room being a giant living room. It had a lot of couches and small tables with chess boards installed within them, among other sitting places, and they were all positioned in an attempt to unite everyone, but it clearly wasn’t enough. The ‘best spots’ seemed to be claimed by the highest castes, Edward only spotting Twos on the main couches, with a few Threes, while everyone else was scattered along the small coffee tables and recliners. Lust herself was flipping through channels on the only TV the room had, clearly taking it upon herself to choose what should be on, while Greed and Ling were pouring over this popular gossip magazine that Edward had never the time (or money) to subscribe to. He spotted Rose already with a group of girls that seemed happily getting along as they chatted away, and Russell with his posse and a few others guys playing pool at the table in the corner. Winry was with Jayden, unknowingly facing away but sitting right next to Riza and Jean, who were playing chess. Edward was quick to feel relieved to find them close by, and didn’t hesitate to join them at another bay window seat that was between both groups. He shot the two former military Selected a smile as he passed them to get there, Riza’s gentle and Jean’s cheeky, and sat down, waving back to Winry and Jayden when they noticed right after him.

Winry beamed and motioned to a space on the couch her and the redhead were occupying. “Do you wanna sit with us?”

Edward shook his head, but offered a smile. “Thanks, but I’m fine right here. I’m going to just read anyway.” He held up the book in gesture, and Winry nodded understandingly. 

“Okay! Just let me know if you change your mind.”

“Thanks.”

He probably wouldn’t take her up on the offer just because his short time at the library already had him certain that he had a thing for window seats- something about them made simply sitting there so pleasant- and because he could easily hold a conversation from there with them if he wanted to anyway. He only had to slightly rotate himself to face the table where Riza and Jean were sitting close by at too, which was a good balance of achieving isolation while keeping himself open to the only people in this damned competition that he knew. 

Edward sighed and opened his book, getting comfortable by pulling his legs up on the cushion to sit cross-legged. He couldn’t care less that the whole point of the drawing room was to socialize; he was going to _read_ damnit. 

Besides, it was more than fulfilling to overhear Jayden talking to Winry about baking, which seemed to obviously be his passion, and it was funny hearing Jean whine as he lost to Riza for the fourth time before he’d gallantly demand a rematch. 

“Hey, Ed!” The older blond called after a while, standing up from the chess set and popping his back as he stretched. “We’re going to check out this place’s gym right now. You wanna come with?”

Edward looked up from his book, curious. Riza seemed resigned to Jean’s enthusiasm to offer an invitation, but otherwise didn’t look at all opposed, so he figured it’ll be okay.

“Sure. Why not.”

He hopped off the window seat and followed them out the door, surprisingly finding them to be one of the only ones to leave despite the mandatory hour of ‘socializing’ being up. Turns out a lot of the Selected were choosing to stay and continue chatting about things, probably until lunch. 

People are weird.

“Have you gone anywhere else yet?” Jean asked,taking a moment to consult his own papers before turning to go down left of the hallway. 

“Just the library.” Edward shrugged, despite both him and Riza being ahead of him and not able to see it. “I haven’t bothered to see the rest yet.”

He nodded understandingly and glanced back to point out something on his map. “It says here that we’re allowed access to the entire North wing, all floors, and some of the gardens. But still,” Jean chuckled to himself and shook his head, “Damn are those Ones holding out on us. There’s the largest indoor pool you’ll ever see on the West wing, and a greenhouse somewhere along the South side.” 

Edward frowned.

“How do you know? There wasn’t a full version of the map I missed, right?”

Jean just chuckled and waved the map around as he spoke. “Oh, naw man. I was just stationed as a guard here for a few months. But I haven’t been here in a while, and maybe only know about half of the halls, but there’s a few parts I remember pretty damn well. This whole South wing is new to me though.”

Edward spared a curious glance at Riza. “Were you ever stationed here?”

The blonde shook her head and waved her hand dismissively. “I had no interest in babysitting Ones. I’ve always been stationed at the border.”

“Oh.” 

Jean looked more amused than upset. “I’ll have you know that the castle gets attacked _all_ the time.” He defended.   
“Wait, it does?” Edward asked, alarmed.

“Oh, shit. Uh-” Jean didn’t finish answering right away, but the death glare Riza shot him seemed to answer the question pretty well.

“Um,” He amended, scratching the back of his head, “Just kidding, bud. I mean, at least- you’re _safe_ here.” 

The way he said that left a lot of room of doubt, and only the sound of their steps echoing in the hall filled the empty air for a moment as Edward took a second to contemplate that. 

“Military secrets?” He tried, already feeling slightly resigned that they wouldn’t say more on the topic. 

“Something like that.”  
Riza sighed loudly, turning her shoulders to look at him. “You not stupid, Elric. But I will admit that there are things the public is better off not knowing about, no matter the circumstances.” Her tone only sounded only factual, and not a single bit of threat laced into the words that would’ve otherwise been a warning. Edward gave a grin that felt more like a grimace.

“I appreciate the heads up.” 

She shot him a small smile, and the release of tension signaled that they all knew that the slip wasn’t going to be an issue. Edward was still going to rain check that, though.

“So which rooms are we allowed access to?” He asked instead, doing the honors of changing the subject. Jean looked rather appreciative. 

“Library, like you already know, and a few other recreational rooms like the gym, a smaller lame indoor pool, and er-”

“Spa and Salon.” Riza supplied helpfully, ignoring the obvious way Jean scrunched his nose. “Ugh. Of course they have those. They’re probably just for all the ladies-” Riza pierced him with a look that had him stuttering, “Oh! Um, not that there's anything wrong with-” Her glare persisted and he switched tactics, anxiously laughing , “I mean, that’s an activity _everyone_ enjoys. I love getting my hair washed for me by professionals and stuff. Er, don’t you, Ed?”

Edward shook his head and laughed. “Don’t pull me into this. You dug that hole yourself.”

Jean dramatically groaned. “Whose side are you on?”

“My own.” He grinned, even getting Riza to look amused. 

“You guys both suck.” Jean complained mildly, still opening the door and stepping aside chivalrously as they entered the gym anyway. 

It looked completely modern with its treadmills and other machines, and it was to all of their approval in terms of the space and variety it offered. Edward was glad to set up ‘workout dates’ with the pair, surprising both former military personnels that his athletic ability was something he actually worked hard at to maintain. Living in the poverish lower caste areas, and having to routinely leave a gig in the dead of night through sketchy alleyways definitely had him pretty good at scaling buildings to travel by roof and running in general. He never used fancy equipment though- his exercise was always more ‘real world’ applied- and he would be lying if he denied the excitement that came from having partners to workout with and to show him how gym machines worked.

After checking out the gym, they went around the rest of the wing to see the other recreational rooms, even the spa and salon despite Jean’s whining, and parted once it was lunch.

“Thanks for showing me around.” Edward said, pausing as they entered the hallway with the dorms.

“No problem!” Jean grinned, “It was a much needed tour for all of us though.”

“Yeah,” He agreed, “I’ll see you guys at dinner.”

Jean’s smile fell and even Riza raised her eyebrows. “You’re not coming with us to pick up lunch?” She asked, the fact of her bothering to pose the question showing more emotion than her actual blank expression.

“We wouldn’t mind-” Jean began, trailing off as Edward shook his head. “Sorry, but-” He shot them a withering smile, “I have to settle a few things. I’ll pick up my lunch later, though.” 

In truth, Edward had nothing to ‘settle’, but just wanted to be alone for a bit. As much as he liked Riza and Jean, it was the gnawing feeling he was beginning to get, and the accompanied exhaustion, that he always got when spending a lot of time with people he didn’t know very well. It bordered more on feeling like he was a bother or out of place rather than anything else, and the last thing Edward wanted to do was take advantage of their kindness. He already felt like he had.

“Are you sure?” Jean tried, shifting to continue looking at Edward, who was making his way towards his room door. 

“I’m sure. Thanks.” 

“But-!”

“See you at dinner, Elric.” Riza offered, giving a telling look to Jean, as she could tell the older blond was otherwise not willing to let it drop. Jean looked unsure for a moment, and opened his mouth to protest before shriveling under Riza’s glare. 

“Okay.. Later then,” Jean conceded, rather defeated by the woman’s look. He smiled again though, and waved as they left to go back to the dining hall. “Yeah, later.” Edward returned, watching as they disappeared around the next corner, leaving him alone to go inside his room. 

He sighed, tired, but a little happy. That wasn’t so bad, all things considering. If Al was here though, he’d probably be rolling his eyes at how easily drained Edward got. It was something the blond couldn’t help much, however, as much as he wanted too, as he even found moments when gigs were slow that had him even avoiding his mom and brother when stuck at home. Maybe a life of playing background music was meant to be, as playing an instrument served as a great deterrent to keep people from trying to talk to him.

Ugh. He almost hated how the Selection was showing more-in depth sides of himself that he had never really taken the time to truly consider before. 

Edward unlocked the door and could only pretend to be surprised by the sight of Mei, Claudia, and Jasmine, overtaking his bed while playing cards. 

“Heya,” He greeted, putting his book down on the nightstand. Claudia squeaked and jumped up, Jasmine flinched and righted herself, but Mei just shot the blond a disapproving look.

“You know most Selected spend the entire first day socializing and exploring the castle.” She pointed out dryly, looking back down at her cards.

“Already did all that.”

“Clearly,” She sighed, getting up from the bed.

“Oh, you guys can keep playing! I don’t mind-” 

“Hush, you.” She chastised, easily making her way around the bed to lightly slap his shoulder with her fan of cards. “Don’t worry about it, it’s our job to wait on you.”

Edward visibly cringed before his expression hardened. “Okay, wait. Stop. Can I be completely honest?”

Mei looked unimpressed, while Jasmine and Claudia shared curious looks. He continued anyway.

“I’m not really comfortable with that idea. I mean, well… I’m not used to having treatment like this. I’ve fucking worked myself to exhaustion practically everyday of my life, but I also understand the sense of duty you have that leaves you feeling restless if you’re doing anything otherwise. Still. Can we try to compromise on something else? Something that has less of the whole servant and master dynamic?” He gestured to around to all of them, clearly including everyone despite just looking at the head maid. 

Mei’s expression softened, looking at him contemplatively, before gently shaking her head. 

“You were a Five. I get it, but that’s not the case anymore. You’re a Three now, so suck it up and get used to it.” She said.

Edward felt himself almost bending, but he also felt his unyielding stubbornness suddenly being evoked from the challenge. Especially when something about her face, when she wasn’t glaring, just reminded him so much of Alphonse in its youth and innocence. No sensible person would be so willing to work for someone else entirely, unless they were brought up to do no different, so Edward couldn’t blame her for the response, but he still couldn’t stand for it. The caste system had always been disgusting once bothering to look under the gold leaf paint. It practically brainwashed people into believing that they were _born_ for the role they’re given, leaving no room to believe that they could ever do more or be anything other than what their caste number said they were. So Mei was clearly not going to budge on this, unless...

“You’re supposed to do anything I say, right?” He abruptly asked, crossing his arms.

Mei raised her eyebrows at the change, but otherwise didn’t look too alarmed, in complete opposition to the stark surprise that overtook Jamine’s and Claudia’s faces.

“That’s correct.” 

“And you insist on waiting on me?”

“Yes, sir.” She evenly replied, a twitch on her lip proving that she was unsure of where this was going. 

“Okay, then.” Edward began, getting prepared to play the part of a stubborn jerk. After all, the persona wasn’t too far away from his default, according to Alphonse. 

“In that case, Mei, I want you to go and find me an acoustic guitar and leave it here. Claudia, set up the bath again, but no bubbles this time. And Jasmine, get me some blank music sheets and put them on the desk.” It took a lot of strength for him to not add ‘please’ to anything, because they needed to know he was being completely serious for this to work.

“And once you’re all done with that, I _demand_ you to take the rest of the day off and relax. _Completely_.” He clarified, knowing that they’d probably still try to clean or do laundry or fucking something else behind his back. 

The three maids exchanged glances, looking equally baffled, and a mutter of “But it’s barely lunch..” came from Jasmine. Mei took a moment as she looked back at him, her expression shifting to something strangely amused and approving.

“Very well then.” She conceded, slightly dipping her head. At her given permission to accept the orders, Jasmine looked almost ecstatic and even Claudia, who was usually so jumpy, only looked happily relieved. “Th-thank you, sir.” She stuttered, ducking her head as she passed him to set up the bath, and Jasmine shot him an equally appreciative glance as she left to get music sheets.

“You’re really strange.” Mei pointed out, grinning again before leaving Edward alone in the room, not giving him a chance to reply. He almost couldn’t help the breath he let go of.

Holy shit. That actually worked.

He was gambling on whether or not it was even possible to request instruments, but couldn’t afford to ask politely and just had to assume that it was, along with the music sheets, and only needed the bath set up because he genuinely didn’t know how the complicated looking control panel worked, but he still couldn’t deny that the biggest relief was having the authority to kick them out for their own benefit. If they didn’t want to take breaks, then he’d _make_ them, goddammit. The biggest surprise was that Mei let him, because up to that point she had read him pretty well to know that he wouldn’t take the power he had over them seriously. Even now, she could’ve said no and there would be nothing Edward would do about it, because that _last_ thing he’d ever do was file a complaint that would not only get them fired, but probably punished too. Thank god it worked, though. 

Edward groaned in relief as he flung himself onto the lavish bed, suddenly more appreciative of the way it sunk down in pure comfort. He didn’t even notice when Claudia came back out from the bathroom until she had left the room, his door shutting quietly making him glance up. Both of the other girls were rather quick though, so it didn’t take much longer for the door to burst open again, Mei holding a guitar and Jasmine papers. 

“Have a good day, sir.” She said, lightly bowing, before leaving, while Mei opening snickered at his position. “That tired out already?” She asked, putting the instrument case by his bedside. “I would’ve _never_ pegged you as an introvert.”

“Shut up.” He groused, putting his head back down in the pillows, but Mei saw right through him and just laughed. “See you in the morning then.” She chirped, her overly sweet tone making Edward dread what she was planning for tomorrow.

“You know what, why don’t you take tomorrow off too-” He trailed off, the maid already out of the room so that she couldn’t hear him. She did that on purpose, the jerk. 

Not anything he could do about it now, though.

He took a grateful moment to not move from the bed until his fingers began to twitch with the knowledge of finally being able to play something again. There was no denying the small spark of excitement that coursed through him when he sat up and brought the case to his bed, opening it was a satisfying click.

“Oh, wow.” He breathed, unable to help his awe. It was so clean, and new, and just so expertly crafted that, despite playing guitar since he was six, he felt like he had no right to even touch it. Intricate and beautiful designs were carved into the light wood, swirls dancing on the pickguard, and the color having a pretty and natural looking ombre effect. Edward carefully took it out and placed his fingers on the fretboard, letting out a low whistle at the sound it made when playing a chord. Damn, this guitar probably cost more than all the money he got from all the gigs he’s ever played in his entire life. 

He wasted no more time to appreciate just its aesthetics, and went to quick work with turning the pegs to tune it until he got the pitch he liked. Despite doing nothing but playing for a living, not doing a gig for longer than a day had him missing the sensation, a breath of relief still escaping his lips as his calloused fingertips felt perfectly in place on the strings.

_This_ , now this was familiar. This was second nature, and reassuring, and calming. This was memories of Trisha gently teaching him how to play, and of Alphonse being right by his side, not even struggling much more than him despite being a year younger, and laughing when they would both strangle a chord at the same time. His brother was plenty good at it now, but he had an affinity for any wind instrument, like the flute or trumpet, while Edward always favored the strings. The harp, violin, and especially piano, were his all time favorites. There was something so pretty and elegant and _soft_ about their sounds that always made the blond feel as if he could only reach those sides of himself through playing them. Otherwise, he went on as a rather paranoid, short-tempered, and pessimistic person overall, but a part of him was able to always find peace when getting to play. Alphonse, with his naturally calm disposition just like their mother’s, always joked that Edward’s only showed through when he was playing soothing music, because otherwise he acted just like their dad, and as much as he’d always give his brother hell for making the comparison, he’d have to admit that to some level that was completely true. 

Edward shook off his train of thought, refusing to go further at his dad being brought up, and sat cross legged as he readied himself to comfortably play on the bed. He strummed a few chords experimentally, falling into the easy practice of playing some warm up scales and chorales. He regretted not packing some of his own music, but he had a few songs memorized by heart that he could still play. Before he even got the chance to even start one, a light knocking at his door had him pausing. 

It couldn’t have been Mei, because she just would’ve let herself in, but it could’ve been Claudia or Jasmine, and he didn’t want to be rude to them. They were actually very respectful and polite, unlike a _certain_ fellow maid. 

“Come in.” He called, half expecting it to be Claudia double checking that it was alright to not do anything. The poor girl seemed so skittish at the idea of getting in trouble, seeing from the way she reacted when Edward first came in, looking as if she’d got caught red handed just because they were playing cards. He couldn’t imagine what she went through to become so uneasy. 

“I hope you aren’t too busy,” A distinct male voice said, definitely not belonging to one of the maids. 

Edward tensed and looked up, the fucking prince of Amestris at his doorway, and he was casually looking around as if expecting to see other people. 

“The maids aren’t here.” He explained, shifting uncomfortable on the bed as he debated whether he should stand and bow or something. He ended up deciding that it’d be less awkward to just forget it at this point; bowing now so belatedly would just look stupid. 

“Oh, that’s strange. You sent them away?” Roy asked, looking mildly concerned for some reason.

“Something like that. I’m, er… not really used to this whole having servants thing.” He admitted, looking away. Roy made a humming noise at the doorway and, Edward could see from his peripheral, that he titled his head a bit.

“May I come in?”

“Sure, I guess.” Edward shrugged, not knowing what one’s supposed to do in this kind of situation. And it’s not like he could say no to the guy, after all; he was the fucking _prince_. Roy seemed to pick up on the helplessness in the answer though, because he lightly frowned. “You know that you could say no to me, right?” Despite his irritated expression, he said it gently, so Edward couldn’t help but hesitantly glance at him. 

“In fact,” He continued, seeing the apprehension on the blond’s face, “That’s what I came to talk about.”

“Oh... really?” Edward asked, at a lack of knowing what else to say. He scooted in an obvious gesture to invite Roy inside so that he wouldn’t have to stand at the doorway, but instantly regretted it as having the prince sit next to him on the bed was something he did _not_ properly think through. Roy didn’t seem to notice to flicker of panic though, instead taking the seat gratefully and with a small content sigh.

“So I asked my father about it,” He started, getting straight to the point, “And there’s unfortunately nothing I could really do as far as not taking advantage of the contracts. Since it's specific in that it includes your time here in the Selection, and since everyone already signed, I can’t terminate them officially. So legally, the same conditions unfortunately apply, but I wanted to assure you that I would personally never act on them.”   
Edward blinked, at loss of what to say for a moment. The prince looked genuinely saddened as he had said that, so he couldn’t help but feel pleasantly surprised that the guy actually cared. It was far more than what he had expected from him, at least.

“I’ve been going to everyone’s dorm to personally tell them that by the way, so thank you for bringing it to my attention.”

“Huh.” Edward raised his eyebrows. “That’s actually really nice of you. I’m surprised.”

Roy gave him a playfully wounded look. “Do you not consider me to be any respectable gentlemen of the sort?”

“Hm, not completely.” He admitted, but unable to stop his grin, “You’re at least definitely part bastard.”

“Is that so?”

“At least 75%” Edward nodded seriously, making Roy chuckle. 

“Then I suppose I better work on fixing that.” He said, regarding him with an expression the blond couldn’t read, before it shifted into something with a glint of mischief. He deliberately scooted into Edward’s personal space and leaned impossibly closer. 

“What do _you_ recommend I do?” He asked, his voice practically a whisper. 

Edward nearly made a choking sound and had never been more grateful for a guitar in his lap in his life, for it added a small buffer between them. It wasn’t nearly enough of one though.

“80%” Edward corrected, turning away and coughing into his hand to hide the fact that he was actually flustered there for a second. Roy grinned at the reaction and pulled back, gently patting his shoulder. “My apologies. I was only teasing.”  
Edward shot him an unimpressed glare. “You’re such a comedian.” He said dryly, adding a fake eye roll for effect.

“You flatter me.”

“Definitely what I’ve been trying to do,” He shot back, the easy coming banter slightly relaxing him. He idly picked at a string as he said it, but the sound seemed to fully catch the prince’s attention as his gaze shifted. 

“Were you playing something?” He suddenly asked, surprising the blond with how genuine his interest sounded. Edward quickly schooled his expression though back into something more sarcastic.

“No, I was just holding it in my lap.” 

“Edward,”

“I’m a Five,” He dramatically expressed, “I don’t even know _how_ to do much of anything else.” He laughed lightly, but he even surprised himself with the hint of sadness that laced the honest words. Roy seemed to notice it too, but didn’t say anything other than briefly looking concerned again. Thinking quickly on how to lighten the mood, Edward offered a meek smile and slightly lifted the guitar partly in gesture and partly to shift in a way to better hold it.

“Do you...wanna hear something?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy is officially only 80% bastard. And if you caught the Lore Olympus reference, congratulations xD  
> Also on whether or not Edward sings, that's to be found out soon ;))))


	6. Let's be Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feeling of betrayal was like a burn wound that left a permanent mar on Edward’s soul. A wound that would forever remain painful to the touch and forever be engraved in his mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU GUYS ARE SO FRICKEN AWESOME!!! I cannot describe to you how happy you all make me! Not only were there a lot of amazing comments, but the fic passed 100 kudos!!! Also, a few of you were so enthusiastic about the inside joke of Edward's bastard meter xD I was gonna be subtle originally but I'm definitely going to play it up now! Thank you so much for the positive vibes, and the comments genuinely made me laugh lol  
> Quick question! This is barely the second fanfic I've written and I'm not sure if replying to comments is normal?? Like, a lot of the ones that I read, whether popular or not, on AO3 tend to not have the authors replying? I'd love to keep doing it though anyways, I just wanna make sure it's not annoying or anything!   
> Alrighty, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Most of it is just Ed and Roy interacting and I don't think I even regret it xD

Fives were, and are, never expected to contribute much to society. Music and art was frivolous enough as is it, and it didn’t help that there was a whole caste, Twos, that dominated the entire entertainment field. Actors, singers, models, and any other type of celebrity were valued exponentially more by the masses than any musician or artist, so the best a Five could expect was to try to get good enough to be commissioned regularly. Doing gigs for any upper caste, from extra special small parties Fours saved up for to the extravagant daily nonsensical ones Twos -even some Threes- had, would always land the lesser paying jobs by default, because the most lavish events always had an idol performing instead. In fact, a Five would be considered extremely lucky to get to be part of the background band for the singer, but even similar esteemed roles, such as being in the orchestra hired to play at castle events, were still through a hierarchy of the more well known families that have been dominating their caste for millennia. Varying degrees of ‘fame’ starting from scratch was still attainable however, and it was actually something Edward’s father had achieved. 

He was a sculptor, and had spent a lot of time in their small backyard slowing chipping away at stone and rock. Alphonse didn’t remember him that well, but Edward could never forget the days when they started having their first big break. Being one of the last people to practice the craft of carving rather than the more common molding and assembling, and being  _ good _ at it, had his father’s work picking up traction once the first Two commissioned him. Trisha had been so essatic for him and had canceled all of her gigs to take Edward and Alphonse to go see the sculpture at the unveiling party the Two had hosted, the big show of it sparking the interest from other higher ups who attended to ask about commissioning him themselves. Unlike their hourly gigs that paid little, their dad’s monthly statues -especially once it garnered a degree of fame among the luxury loving Twos- paid  _ big _ . From the first few high-selling statues alone, they were able to pay off their small house completely, a feat which they had been previously struggling to even continue keeping up until then. 

However, the success their dad would have continued to have, Edward would never know, because a single letter from Xing took him away as soon as his fame transcended borders. It was from the Emperor himself, asking to have him as his personal sculptor, and Trisha looked equally parts proud and sad when she had handed the letter to her husband.

“I promise,” Their dad had said, “I’m not going to leave.”

And even as a small child, Edward could remember the relief that coursed through him in knowing that their dad wouldn’t accept the offer. The relief from actually  _ believing _ him. After all, with the growing fame and commissions he was getting in Amestris alone, why would he have to leave? Why would he even  _ want _ to?

But then, despite everything- Edward saw him for the last time that same night.

He was woken up by the sound of heavy footsteps, and came out of his room just on time to catch a glimpse of his father walking out of the door, a briefcase and a paper with the shining emblem of Xing in his hand.

And just like that, he abandoned his family. 

The feeling of betrayal was like a burn wound that left a permanent mar on Edward’s soul. A wound that would forever remain painful to the touch and forever be engraved in his mind. 

Rather quickly, Edward decided to despise his father and anything to do with him, including his craft of sculpting, since his youth at the time had allowed him to dabble in all fields of music and art before he had to choose to specialize in just one, and thus had him clinging to his mother’s work like an iron vice grip. He didn’t care if musicians were the most common and least paid, and one of his father’s advice of “You should do sculpting as well. You’d be good at it and it’s a rarer craft that’s in higher demand,” just spurred him on to reject his words even more. So it had been rather decisively Edward started to specialize in music rather than art, despite his own personal preference of it at the time actually being higher, and quickly shut dreams away of attaining any sort of fame in the same way as his father. He’d figure out a way to replicate the success with music; he had to.

Perhaps he overreacted a bit, or was being far too stubborn, but he was determined to stay as far away from the path his dad took, as if the road was a train that, once getting on, would be stuck and at the mercy to follow the same exact tracks and unable to run anywhere else. And the last thing he wanted to do,  _ ever _ , was become like his dad.

It was to be completely expected then, that becoming any sort of extremely successful Five was going to be hard, given the commonness and low social value due to technology’s growing effect on the industry. No one would clap or appreciate someone plucking some strings over an idol singing with autotune, but Edward quickly got used to the notion. Heck, after working in the field for so long, that was the only thing he could fucking  _ expect _ .

So when he foolishly offered to play a song for Roy Mustang, a  _ One _ , he expected an amused and apologetic look along with something about being busy or not having the time. Because there was no way he’d actually be interested. After all, the prince probably had instant access to all of the best bands and singers of Twos he could wish for, so what could a Five possibly have to offer? Absolute dirt, that’s what. 

Despite Edward’s expectations and his experience of living his entire life not even being spared a second glance for his profession, despite  _ all _ of it, he was -once again since the interaction started- completely floored by the prince doing the opposite of what he expected. Again.

Roy, instead of shaking his head or even laughing at him, just smiled, looking fully genuine. He casually leaned back on his arms at complete ease, looking as if the last thing he was going to do was leave.

“I’d love to hear you play.”

Edward huffed in disbelief, but his lip quirked up from the pleasant surprise. “Really?”

“So you regard me as a liar too?” Roy asked, raising an eyebrow in his attempt to look serious.

“It  _ is _ one of the credentials of being a bastard.” The blond shrugged, grinning.

“You’re going to have to fully explain to me the rest of the credentials that I apparently fulfill at some point.”

“List’s too long.”

“It’s no matter. I assure you,” Roy started, shooting what had to be what was the most charming smile in his arsenal, “I have time.” 

Something about the way his tone changed when he said that, the way his gaze seemingly added on  _ ‘for you’ _ without even saying the words, had Edward’s face heating up. The bastard knew what he was doing too, because his expression turned smug as the blond looked away from him. 

“ _ Anyway _ ,” Edward forced, deliberately focusing on his guitar as he messed with a few strings. “There’s a lot of songs I could play if I had the music, but I didn’t bring any so….”

He played the first three notes, pausing to let the last chord resonate and to check the pitch one last time, and then, satisfied, continued to play what was his favorite piece that he knew by heart. It was one of the first songs he learned -though it was by no means easy- and it had a special fondness in his memories from when Trisha would play it to him and Alphonse as a lullaby to go to sleep. It was gentle and soft; the opportunity to play such a style during a gig was a rare privilege, so it had kept the song as a mostly private indulgence that he’d play at home with his mom or Al. It was the first song he wanted to try when getting the new guitar anyway, so it was a win-win that he got to test it out and also play one of the only pieces that could soothe him, which was something he very much needed considering recent events.

Roy got almost unexpectedly quiet once Edward started playing, and the blond was grateful for the excuse to let his bangs cover his face as he looked down, not sure how to feel about how attentive the prince’s gaze was. He wondered briefly, though, if Roy could hear  _ it _ . The grief in the chords that punctuated each falling note, the serene way the notes floated along the staff that only Edward could mentally see, the sense of calm sadness that resonated with each strum. Despite his love and familiarity for it, it was undeniably a  _ sad _ song, if one were to really let themselves listen to it, and he wasn’t sure if that aspect of it was completely discernible or even likable. It was a sort of sadness that made most people either want to hide from how close it touched home, or dive into it just because of how familiar that nostalgia was. 

Maybe he was overthinking it. Music was just sound waves in the air, after all.

When he finished the last chord, the notes echoing fully in the preceding empty space, he glanced up at Roy only to freeze. The prince’s expression looked bordering on devastation, his eyebrows creased and his eyes even darker than normal.

“How did you… know?”

“Huh?” Edward felt himself making a similar expression now, but rather out of concern for whatever he did to invoke such a pained look from Roy. “What do you mean…?”

“I-” He started, suddenly chuckling hollowly and shaking his head, now looking more resigned, “It’s only that... that was the same song that my aunt would play when…” The prince trailed off, now back at the same thoughtful look that he had right before their interview had ended. “It was a record instead though, so I almost didn’t recognize it at first.” He ended up saying in lieu of what he was going to originally, and Edward didn’t miss the way he was schooling his expression into something less vulnerable, less open. It was like he was closing up. 

“Oh…” The blond breathed, “I didn’t think you’d know it, to be honest. Not many people do.” It was the complete truth, as he would’ve never thought anyone would recognize the melody, being as it was a nameless tune that his own mother took the time to personally write in the notes on a paper for him and Al to learn, being that a sheet beforehand apparently didn’t exist.

“My mom would play this for us, me and my brother I mean, as a lullaby when we were kids. ” Edward shrugged, as if it was a casual confession rather than a personal one, as if trying to pull Roy outside of his walls by opening up his own. 

It almost nearly worked, because the prince worked his jaw for a moment, as if debating, and opened his mouth, only to end up closing it before saying anything. Finally, after another moment, he said, “It was lovely to hear you play it, Edward. Thank you.” The words sounded sincere enough, but barely over the overwhelming sense of empty politeness. 

“You’re doing it again.” Edward pointed out, unable to help his small frown. 

Roy just shot him an, only partially apprehensive, smile, but otherwise looked completely composed again. “And what’s that?”

“You’re thinking something, but not spitting it out. You did the same thing when I asked about what you were worried about in the gardens.”

“Ah,” He chuckled, but it was completely forced, “Am I that easy to figure out?”

Edward couldn’t help but snort. “Not at all. You confuse the hell out of me.”

“Is that so?” Roy raised an eyebrow, but his expression was dancing with mirth again, “I’d like to consider that more as ‘interesting’.”

“In your dreams.”

“You wound me.”

Edward laughed and rolled his eyes. “Are you always this dramatic?” 

“It’s one of my many specialties.” 

“Is thinking that I’m not going to notice you changed the subject also one of them?”

“Swindled again.” Roy laughed, “You’re good at this.” 

“It’s called that I can smell bullshit from a mile away.”

“Oh? And what does that smell like?”

“You.”

Roy shook his head and chuckled again, shifting to lean forward and clasping his hands on his lap. “In all seriousness though, I do apologize if my reluctance comes off as untrusting. That’s not the case at all. I suppose it’s just…” He paused, and Edward’s own smile fell as he watched him closely. “I’m not quite sure how to go about… anything, in this competition, really-” He admitted, sounding a bit lost. Edward thought he saw a flicker of vulnerability in his expression, but it quickly disappeared as the prince turned to look at him, lightly laughing. “This whole thing is plenty unorthodox, I’m sure.”

“Completely,” Edward agreed, but feeling rather solemn about it despite his own light tone. It had never really occurred to him what this competition might feel like for the prince if he had never wanted it in the first place. It was a plenty possible truth, as he sounded genuine, and it would explain the fact that he had managed to postpone it until he was nearly thirty. Up until then, Edward had just been assuming it was something Roy gladly participated in, as the national attention and personal harem was something that the blond had figured any spoiled prince would enjoy. The notion was slowly disintegrating away now though, as Edward once again was pleasantly surprised and relieved that all of his premade conceptions around the royal One was so far proving to be more wrong rather than right.

But the idea that the Selection was something that the prince did  _ not _ actively like participating in didn’t sit much better in Edward’s stomach. The vulnerability Roy would have to show the entire nation, if he actually managed to genuinely fall in love during the course of this competition, would be staggering. The blond knew that he would personally hate such a thing if done to him. Falling in love,  _ sincerely _ , was an intimate thing that didn’t deserve the eyes of everyone in the name of entertainment. Clearly, Amestris didn’t care, and unfortunately, it was seeming more and more like Roy did.

Edward for a split second felt his gut twist in that same sensation as if falling, as the complete understanding of the situation dawned on him. 

Roy was taking this seriously. Fully and completely. He was looking for someone to  _ marry  _ and actually _ love _ .

Edward took a deep, uneven breath. 

“You’re afraid to scare people away.” He realized. His guess proved to be correct from the way the prince tensed, and Roy looked unsure of what to do with the accusation for a moment, before he relaxed and sighed with a solemn smile.

“I suppose that’s it, then.”

“I…” Edward began, not sure what he was going to say but plowing forward anyway, “I don’t blame you, and- honestly, I.. I get that.” 

And the blond felt as the honesty rang from his own words, the truth being insightful even to himself. Alphonse had teased him about his lack of dating plenty, but Edward could fully relate to the concept of feeling inadequate. Despite never actively pursuing anyone romantically, he had easily chalked it up to the idea that he was just undesirable. Even besides that, opening up to someone in so many different intimate ways was  _ scary _ .

“This whole thing is terrifying, isn’t it?”

“Terrifying and exhilarating.” Roy agreed, suddenly looking exhausted.

_ Terrifying and exhilarating _ , just like falling in love.

“Would it help if you had a friend to vent to?” Edward suddenly asked, shifting to face him better. After getting a weird look from the prince and realizing what he even said, he coughed to hide his flushing face. “I mean,” He amended, “Okay, look. I totally get where you’re coming from. At least... I might not completely relate to all of it, but I could understand. And truth be told, I’m not sure what  _ I’m _ even doing here-”

Roy’s eyebrows furrowed as confusion took hold. “But you-”

“I know.” Edward grimaced, already prepared for the question. “About that… my brother actually signed me up behind my back. I never meant to be, er,  _ available _ to this sort of thing.” He admitted, looking away sheepishly. He felt like being honest about it to properly explain, but the moment of Roy processing that confession had the blond briefly afraid if he’d offended him.

“Oh,” The prince breathed, his face twisting with a look of helpless amusement instead, “That actually explains  _ a lot _ .” 

The blond scowled. “What’re you trying to say?”

“Nothing.” Roy smiled, looking too fucking innocent. Edward decided to ignore whatever that could’ve implied, and just huffed in mock annoyance before continuing. “So hopefully you’d understand then, that I’m pretty much just as lost as you are. And maybe… I dunno, but maybe it could be better for both of us to at least be friends. So you could have some support without worrying about the competition thing, and so I could not be so stressed about, er, involuntary competing. With none of this,” He waved his hands around to gesture everything, “Walking on eggshells to impress or seduce or  _ whatever  _ the hell we’re supposed to be doing…” 

Edward paused and let out a hollow laugh, “I mean, since we’re both lost… why not be lost together??”

Roy was looking at him with that strange expression he couldn’t read again, but there was a hint of visible surprise that slowly morphed into helpless concern, a meek smile taking place. “May I just ask, to make sure…” He started, almost hesitant, “Would that mean that you wouldn’t consider yourself a Selected anymore if I took up your offer?”

Edward blinked, unsure of what the hell that even meant for a moment, before he realized that Roy was trying to ask if the friendship would result in a  _ friend zone _ . Was he actually considering him, then? The blond couldn’t even begin to comprehend, nor believe, why the prince would ever even care, but if reassuring him meant they could strike the deal, that’d be a win. Besides, pretty soon the prince would realize that the blond was  _ not _ the person he’d ever actually want.

“Well,” Edward said, grinning with a hint of mischief, “That depends on you.”

“Comforting.” Roy mused dryly, but the hint of smile seemed to prove that the blond’s words were enough to dissuade his worries. He sighed. “That honestly would be great, though. I’d love to have you as my friend, Edward. Though I hope it doesn’t ruin your opinion of me-”

“Believe me, this will be better for both of us.” Edward smiled, unable to help the bout of relief that coursed through him. “It lessens the pressure, which is something we both desperately need. And besides,” He shot the prince a lopsided grin, “I already just see you as a bastard anyway.”

“I don’t suppose that’s a good thing.” Roy remarked, but he smiled anyway. 

“It could be. Being a bastard comes with more privileges though, like complaining, not having to be all proper all the time, and not hiding your true feelings and thoughts about things.” He retorted, giving him a very pointed look.

“Ah...being a bastard sounds a bit too undignified for a prince.”

“Well too bad.” Edward playfully rolled his eyes. “News flash, you’re a fucking normal  _ person  _ like the rest of us. You can’t be some perfect prince 100% of the time.”

Roy’s amused disbelief shifted into a grin as he made a sound as if trying not to outright laugh.

“Oh- How could I forget? I’m already 80% bastard.”

“Huh. You're not a complete idiot after all,” Edward grinned, laughing at the overly dramatic look of devastation that Roy gave in response. “Oh no… is there a percent for that too?”

The blond shook his head and snickered. “No. Not  _ yet _ at least.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He chuckled, but his expression sobered considerably soon after. “Thank you, though, Edward. I’d love to accept your offer. ”

“It’s mutual.” The blond shrugged, averting his gaze, “So it’s no problem.” 

He looked back at Roy, but the way the prince was staring back had Edward wanting to look away again. There was something in his expression that swelled with this unspoken gratitude that was among his tired smile, and something else, but before the blond could try to read it, the prince exasperatedly closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, a sigh coming from his lips; he was relieved. Edward’s heart almost clenched at the open display of exhaustion. 

How many people had always expected Roy to just be a perfect prince?

“Hey,” The blond gently scooted closer and nudged his shoulder with his own, leaning over his guitar to see his face. “Do you need a nap or something?” He lightly teased, but his concern must have been showing from the way Roy’s face shifted after he glanced at him. The prince lightly shook his head, but it seemed to be more to himself rather than an answer, and he rubbed his temple one last time before breaking a smile.

“A nap right here with you?” He jested back, suggestively raising his eyebrows. Edward barely realized how fucking close their faces were and almost flinched back, barely able to pretend he was unalarmed as he leaned back instead, shooting the prince a glare. The fact that they were both on a bed did not help the blond’s thoughts suddenly racing with the mental image. He shook it off, refusing to even  _ think _ about it.

“I said I’m willing to be supportive, not a practice dummy for your stupid sense of charm.”

“Who said I was just using you to practice?” Roy shot back, laughing and continuing before Edward could utter a word with his scandalized expression. “Does a supportive role imply you’ll also tell me what the other Selected say about me in the drawing room?”

“Not your wing man either.” Edward groused, trying his best to be subtle in his attempts to shift away. The prince seemed to be having too much fun now though, because he only grinned and leaned back on his hands again, unbothered. 

“Duly noted.”   
The blond refused to look at him as he determinedly messed with some strings, finally looking up and shooting him an unimpressed face when the prince seemed far too content to just sit there and keep watching him.

“You’re fucking lucky that this guitar is too precious for me to bash you over the head with it.”

“Oh, threats of violence now? You surprise me with every word.” 

“I’m never playing you a song again.” Edward swore in lieu of another violent threat, but he couldn’t help the way his lip twitched in a poor attempt to hide a smile.

“Do you sing?” Roy abruptly asked, looking at Edward’s fingers as he kept messing with the guitar. The question made the blond pause, for some reason, because the answer was obvious, but he strangely didn’t feel like answering it out right. 

He  _ could _ sing, but only because he had to. A lot of gigs hired a Five that could play popular party music, many of which included having to sing, and it sometimes brought a little more pay to be able to do both in general. Trisha had the best singing voice by far in the family. To the point that some of the work she got was always from the same families that consistently hired her purely on that basis, and she’d even used to get compliments that she sung better than most professional Twos. ‘Used’ to, only because her sickness had her not nearly performing as much anymore as she used to than when Edward and Alphonse were smaller. Despite being her sons, both of them didn’t exactly share her enthusiasm for singing. Al actually got nervous when he had to sing, and for the most part tried to get gigs that didn’t require it or that had him not doing it alone. Edward, on the other hand, just cared for getting the best pay possible, and found it to be more of a chore than a passion, so he could care less about singing in public.

For some reason though, the idea of singing to Roy had a tinge of anxiety already swirling in his stomach, which didn’t make sense, because getting embarrassed about singing was  _ Al’s _ thing. And it wasn’t like Edward was horrible at it. Alphonse would complain that he got more of mom’s talent when it came to his vocals, and although he knew he wasn’t nearly as good as her, he was definitely at least decent. It was weird though, that it was something he almost wanted to hide now though. 

“Not for you” He settled on, barely managing to not give in to the strange instinct to deny it completely instead.

“You’re going to hold out on me, then? Pity.” Roy said, despite not sounding disappointed at all. He stood up rather effortlessly and had this face that made it look like he only didn’t care because he was already assuming that he’d eventually get Edward to sing. Overconfident bastard. 

“You have other Selected that need to know about the contracts, right?” Edward said instead of responding to the prince’s comment. He saw how Roy was about to say something similar right before the blond beat him to it, and it showed from the way his expression shifted into impressed amusement. 

“Unfortunately.” He agreed, “As much as I’d like to stay here with you, I’d like to finish tying up this loose end before the lunch break ends. I already visited most of them by going to the dining room, though I’m sure the rest of them are in their rooms like you are.”

For some reason, Edward hadn’t properly realized that most of the Selected had been visited by the prince in a group, since they were all together getting lunch. So how many others got this one-on-one treatment?

“I’ll see you around, then.” The blond quickly offered, not wanting to dwell on it. 

“Of course. Until next time.” Roy smoothly replied, looking a bit too genuinely dismayed to leave than Edward was liking. He left the room, which left the blond feeling rather confused by everything that came out of that conversation. He had a friend in him now for sure, which would be helpful in lasting longer, even if just a bit, and he also now knew that the prince was taking the Selection seriously, which Edward didn’t know  _ what _ to make of.

After only getting to contemplate over it for a few seconds, Roy came back rather suddenly, leaning out of the hallway instead of coming all the way in. 

“My apologies, but I just wanted to ask,” He rushed, sounding almost as if he was out of breath. Had he  _ ran _ back here? Edward raised his eyebrows expectantly, very curious to what question could have the prince hurrying back. 

“Have you picked up your lunch yet?”

The blond frowned, confused. “No… I haven’t yet. How come?”

“Oh,” He breathed, looking a mix of relieved and concerned for some reason. “No matter. It’s just that-” He paused, his expression turning a bit sheepish as he looked away. “I wanted to be sure that you ate something. Ahem, so- um, please be sure to pick something up.”

Edward couldn’t help but break into a wide smile. Did he really come back just to say that? And he looked a bit awkward about it too if the way he was now tugging on his collar was anything to go by. The whole notion was actually kinda… sweet.

“I will. You too, Mustang.” He returned.

“Ah, well- Good day, then.”

Edward watched completely amused as the prince shot him a meek smile and left again, going as quickly as he came.

“Hey, Mustang!” He suddenly called, knowing that he’d been close enough still to hear it.

“Yes?” He poked his head in, looking all concerned again for no reason. It was kinda endearing.

“70%.” 

“Oh,” He breathed, his worried expression shifting into one of amusement, seeming rather pleased about his ‘bastard level’ decreasing. They smiled at one another for a moment before the prince lightly shook his head and laughed. “I suppose I’ll do my best to keep improving.” 

Roy turned around as he once again parted, but now with his usual confidence and ease back, and the blond just gave him a lax wave, still smiling even after he was left alone in his room.

Maybe Edward just accidentally fed into ego by giving him that deduction, but, despite it, he actually couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

Besides, that was still plenty bastard.

\-----

Dinner was rather uneventful considering that all of the Selected and royal family were forced to all eat together in the dining hall, but Edward was taking it as a success. He had heard from Jean and Riza right before that there was a huge argument that went down between Solf Kimblee, a Two, and Lyra Dante, a Four, which was a development that the blond was very grateful to have avoided. He had picked up his lunch within the end of the window period and promptly spent the rest of his free afternoon in the library instead. Evidence of the drama that had transpired was clear, though, in the way the noirette girl had her head down during the entirety of dinner, while the man, that seemed to have an obsession with white suits, Kimblee, looked more irritated at everyone than usual. 

Apparently, he had made a remark, after Roy had visited the hall, about how the prince was apologizing for the contracts because of women ‘self-victimizing’ themselves, which had Lyra jumping to the defensive. This in turn had him accusing her of being the one to make a complaint about it, which had a few of the Selected picking sides, because a few were apparently ‘offended’ by the fact that anyone would assume such things from the prince, and that he shouldn’t have to be the one going around to apologize. Hardly anyone came to stand at Lyra’s side, which Edward already knew was most likely to do with the fact that she was a lower caste, and she eventually just left the room crying after being ganged up on. 

When Jean had passionately described the whole ordeal, with Riza solemnly nodding in agreeance, Edward didn’t know if he was more appalled or guilty. He was definitely horrified that anyone would find a  _ fault _ in someone calling out the ‘rape-y’ conditions of the contract, and especially distraught that the whole argument was, technically, his fault. By no means would he ever regret bringing it to Roy’s attention , but it still felt pretty bad to know that this girl stood up for it only to be torn down. The fact that an argument broke out in the first place completely irked Edward to no end. And he tried his best to always keep his opinions of others’ character based on personal experience rather than hearsay, but this Kimblee guy was sounding like a complete douchebag. Calling the need to feel safe from sexual advances being only a women’s problem, and an exaggerated one at that? Seriously?! 

It was little consolation to the blond that there were at least a few who stood up with Lyra, including Riza and Jean, but they couldn’t do much to prevent her from running off because they got there kind of late, and after Kimblee accused her of being the sole person to start it, everyone else only bothered to target her, disregarding any other people on her side.

Talk of the incident had already spread like wildfire, and Edward was surprisingly one of  _ many _ to have completely missed the altercation.

“I can’t believe the audacity!” Winry seethed next to him, stabbing her steak rather aggressively. She had just heard about it right before lunch just like he had. Jayden looked over at her rather hesitantly, more scared of her than in agreeance, but still nodding along rather feverishly anyway. Edward was still sat between them, as the layout from breakfast didn’t alter at all, effectively establishing an unofficial seating chart, practically. 

“The prince was just doing something nice and Kimblee had to find a reason to be offended  _ and _ blame women for it?! How egotistical could a Two get?!”

“Pretty egotistical.” Edward sighed, unable to help but glance at Mustang across the room. Had he heard about this? It didn’t look that way, judging from the way he was paying attention to a conversation between the King Bradley and the queen, rather than the occasional hushed murmurs and pointed glances among the Selected. For some reason this kind of incident had the blond not wanting the prince to find it out, especially because it was a debate that sparked because Mustang was trying to do the  _ right _ thing. What the hell kind of karma was that?

“I just don’t get it.” She conceded, a lot of her rage now slipping away. “I talked to Lyra for a bit before, because we were in the same jet together, and she was the sweetest thing. It just makes me so mad that anyone would drive her to the point of tears and- I...I wish I could’ve been there.”

Edward grimaced, completely understanding her sentiment, especially since he couldn’t help but feel partially responsible. “I know what you mean.”   
“Yeah…”

The conversation ended there, no one wanting to continue dampening the mood. Thankfully, it didn’t take long to move past it and at least slightly enjoy dinner, the subject happily changing when Jayden brought up how he saw rabbits in the garden. Edward only half listened, smiling and nodding along while his mind was starting to short circuit out. It had been the first full day spent at the castle, and it felt like he did everything and nothing at the same time. Either way, the complete change of pace from his normal routine had him completely drained.

Fortunately, the maids stuck true to their word and didn’t show up when he went back in his room for the night, and Edward was relieved to be left alone. He took a bath, in the water that had turned room temperature from earlier that day, but he didn’t mind and wouldn’t know how to turn the damn thing on even if he did. The switchboard had so many buttons with vague simples that had the blond positive he’d end up flooding the bathroom if he even tried.

He brushed out his hair like normal, making a mental note to request normal rubber bands as he was stuck using the castle’s ribbon-style ones now, and climbed into bed, only wearing sweats and a hoodie again. Thankfully, Edward didn’t even have time to think about anything for too long, as sleep already began to pull him down under. The interviews had only been that morning, but they felt like weeks beforehand as opposed to hours, and the blond was more than ready to end the day. 

His sleep must’ve been dreamless or something, though, because way too soon, he was blinking and coming to a bleary morning. Sunlight filtered through the immaculate curtains and Mei took the center of his vision as he tried to make sense of where he was. He was by no means used to waking up in the castle. 

“Good morning!” His head maid chirped, looking down at him rather bemusedly. “Time to get up! You have classes today!” 

Edward groaned and turned around, wanting to desperately cling back onto his sleep that seemed to last not nearly fucking long enough. Classes? Like sit-and-do-nothing-at-a-desk-for-hours classes? 

“You’re going to be late!” Mei warned, and the blond didn’t need to look to know that she had her hands on her hips now. Ugh. It was bringing back memories of school. Edward had hated going to school.

“A few more minutes.” He groused, stubbornly holding onto the blanket when he felt Mei try to pull it. “Don’t be a baby!” She demanded. With almost superhuman strength, she yanked the comforter so hard that Edward was tumbling off the bed. He hit the floor loudly and yelped in pure alarm. For the second morning in a row. Is this how Mei  _ always _ wakes people up?

“Great. Now you’re awake.” She beamed, far too pleased with herself. 

There were snickers from behind her, and Edward belatedly processed that Jasmine and Claudia were also in the room as well.

“You know, I would really appreciate it if you didn’t nearly kill me every morning.” He scowled, rubbing the back of his head. 

“You ready to start the new day?” She asked, ignoring his comment and acting all chipper again despite her prior irritation. “Today’s a packed schedule!”

Edward groaned and put his head down on the floor, ignoring Jasmine’s and Claudia’s laughs. He was absolutely dreading this day, and it hadn’t even started. Oh what he would do for Alphonse to come and take him away from this wretched place. Too bad he already made a commitment. 

“Okay, okay…” He huffed, slowly getting up and wincing when he nearly fell again due to the way his legs were still stuck in the covers. “I’m up. I’m up.”

“Fantastic!” Mei cooed, and the pep in her voice was so overdone that Edward knew for a goddamn fact that it was sarcasm. The blond was too over her to even care. He just needed to last long enough for Trisha’s medicine, that’s all he had to do. How long would that be, exactly, though? Shit, he never really thought about it. Maybe two months would be enough? But they didn’t even know what was wrong with her, so there was no telling what kind of treatment or medicine she’d need. So three months to be safe? 

Edward sighed and rubbed his eyes. It’d be a miracle if he could last until tomorrow at this rate.

“Ready to get the day started?” Mei asked, shoving a set of clothes on hangers to his chest. The blond took a deep breath.

“Let’s just get this shit show over with.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edward: Let's be supportive and be there for each other in a totally platonic and mutual way.  
> Roy: OKAY BUT WILL I BE FRIEND ZONED???
> 
> Man got his priorities right xD
> 
> Also if you're interested to know what song Ed was playing, it was Trisha's Lullaby just because I'm such a sucker for all FMA music lol There are a few acoustic guitar covers you can easily find too if you'd like to imagine what he sounded like!  
> And yes, Roy's totally gonna get him to sing ripp  
> I love you all! Stay safe!!


	7. The Real Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward scrunched his eyebrows, flexing his hands as a sliver of anticipation and anxiety began to prick at his sides, no doubt at the prospect of being timed.  
> “You may begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are the best! Thank you for leaving the best comments every time, and thank you for saying that replying is alright! Cause yeah, I'm going to keep doing it x3 I love interacting with you guys!  
> Also I did real research on table setting 101, lol, and unfortunately it really shows xD  
> Either way I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

It turned out that crown lessons were just as bad as they sounded. Not only was the first one in the fucking dawn of morning, before even breakfast, but it was over a lesson over damn table manners. When Edward walked into the repurposed classroom, he wasn’t the only one that was more than confused when every desk had a set of plates and utensils rather than pencil and paper. 

“You cannot expect to hold an intelligent conversation with anyone over a meal if you don’t even know how to dine properly,” Was the first thing the teacher said in lieu of an actual introduction. She was a middle-aged woman that still had the fire and physique of someone much younger, and was clearly strict despite her less-than-professional outfit of a white button down dress, many of them which were undone, and of her micro-braided hair up in a high ponytail. Izumi Curtis was her name, a fact Edward was able to discern by simply reading the whiteboard, and she left everyone little choice but to pay undivided attention as soon as she dropped a ruthless threat before even starting the lesson. 

“You should all be aware that the prince already approved of the Expulsion Clause, which is a Selection tradition that many of you may not know of due to it never being publicly televised. All you need to know is that it is the  _ only _ exception that exists that can get you disqualified from the competition without the prince doing so himself.”

There was an apparent shift in the room as everyone shared alarmed glances with one another and began to share confused murmurs. 

“I’ve never heard of there being an exception.” Jean worriedly muttered. He was sitting at the desk next to Edward, and Riza, who sat in front of him, only shot the older blond a glare with a finger against her lips, effectively shushing him before dutifully turning back around. Edward just shot the man a helpless shrug, not bothering to straighten in his seat even as Izumi stalked down the aisle by his row, shooting everyone a cold look. 

“Failure in this class results in disqualification.” She announced. Gasps came from many Selected as that new fact processed, many them outwardly looking shocked or offended. Edward merely grimaced, now knowing that he would have to definitely put effort in the class.

Great.

It made a lot of sense though, to a degree, why such an exception would exist. Marrying the prince would also be marrying a sovereign, so a decent amount of political competence would be expected at the very least. Table manners and other frivolous upper caste etiquette, though? The blond could only regard such as a waste of time, really. He figured work ethic and intelligence was also being evaluated through this, and it would’ve been effective if it wasn’t for the fact that many Selected from upper castes already had an advantage from merely being brought up similarly to fancy Ones. His theory proved correct as the class wore on, with Izumi directly calling out those who seemed the least attentive. When she called on Edward, he was able to easily answer only because it was stupidly easy for him to grasp the concept, but her calling on Kimblee only didn’t have him tripping up because he was obviously aware of such traditions. A lot of Fours and even a few Threes, though, were looking to be overwhelmed with the information Izumi was practically rapid-firing.

Edward just felt like he’d rather be anywhere else.

It was simple enough, really. Forks on the left, spoons and knives on the right, dessert utensils above the plate, any glasses in the top right, and napkins to the very left. Everything was catered towards the common dominant right-handed, so the blades always pointed in, towards the diner, the silverware went in order of use, going from outwards to in. Then one could proceed to eat like some pompous douche and discuss the politics of the tea trade or some stupid shit. Easy. 

For the most part, everyone seemed to be able to manage barely following along as Izumi thoroughly explained the intricacies of each aspect, Edward only catching Jean scratching his head in genuine puzzlement only once, but no one really panicked until the end of the session came, Izumi issuing the first assignment for a grade. 

“I want you all to pile your plates and silverware, and pass them forward, as I will be collecting them. Then I will have you pass a entirely new set back. For a grade, you will have to set it up properly within three minutes. Questions?” 

No one asked anything, but everyone looked perfectly terrified anyway at the prospect, even some Twos visibly tensing. Edward couldn’t help but grin. Spoiled, lazy jerks might’ve been used to the set up, but they clearly never had to set the tables themselves before. They had obviously gotten too comfortable with servants doing it for them their entire lives. 

Despite being undoubtedly a hard working man, Jean let out the most exaggerated sigh, looking rather resigned already.

“I’m screwed.” He whispered, even getting an amused look from Riza. 

“You’ll be fine.” She gently consoled, and it was somehow comforting despite her expression looking more like she was trying to not roll her eyes. Edward snorted at Jean’s continued display of distress, ignoring the other Selected around them acting the same way as he shot the older blond an unimpressed look. 

“Not knowing how to set a table isn’t going to end your life.” 

“Easy for you to say,” Jean shot back, helplessly smiling a bit anyway, “You’re obviously good at paying attention.”

“Good at not being a dumbass.” Edward corrected, unable to help his sharp grin after hearing Riza stifle a laugh in front of them. 

“I hate you both.” He groused, leaving it at that as the hushed conversations between other Selected died down, the new set of tableware starting to get passed along. 

Edward took his set curiously, taking quick note of the numbers. One big plate, small plate, four spoons in varying sizes, three forks, two knives, two glasses, and one napkin. Seemed easy enough. The only difference from the first was that it had an extra set of utensils and the smaller plate, which, from listening to what Izumi had explained beforehand, Edward was pretty sure that they were for dessert. Either the other Selected didn’t remember or couldn’t figure that out, though, as many of them openly looked perplexed about the extra tableware, as if they had no clue what to do with it. 

“Listen closely,” Izumi began, stepping in front of the room with her arms crossed, “I will only say this once. Bring it to my attention as soon as you finish. Additionally, once I say so, the timer will begin, but I will first disclose the order of the courses.” 

Edward scrunched his eyebrows, flexing his hands as a sliver of anticipation and anxiety began to prick at his sides, undoubtedly at the prospect of being timed. Everyone sat up straighter and watched her.

“You will be setting up a dinner starting with a small soup, going on to a salad, a small course of ravioli, a main course of steak and rice, and lastly crème brûlée accompanied with a slice of pie.” 

Izumi looked everyone over as she finished and cracked into a viciously sadistic smile. 

“You may begin.”

Edward shot into action, the room abruptly filled with sounds of glass and ceramics clinking against one another as everyone rapidly did the same. He swiftly got the basics set up, including the large plate in the middle, smaller dessert plate to the top left, glasses to the top right, and napkin to the very left, taking a small moment to pause as he recalled the order of the courses. Soup was first, so the smallest spoon to the very right, then the salad fork to the left, closest to the napkin. After that was ravioli, which Edward didn’t know whether a fork or spoon should be used, but was able to deduce from elimination that it had to have been a spoon, and then placed the last set closest to the plate for the main course, which needed all three. The second knife went on the dessert plate, at a diagonal with the handle facing towards him and blade in, and he was stumped for a second as he held the last pieces: a fork and a spoon. He knew it was for dessert too, which meant that they would be horizontal on the spot above the plate, but there was a specific way he had to put them. Did the spoon go on top, or the fork? Edward looked down at the rest of the setup, which he was fairly positive correct, and put the spoon first, figuring that the pattern of the spoon taking precedence to be on the outermost side was consistent. Remembering the right-handed rule, he placed it with the handle facing right, and placed the fork under it facing the opposite way, handle to the left, acting under the assumption that the spoon was placed correctly. 

“Done.” He announced, looking up for the first time since the timer started. Edward was surprised to see everyone still vigorously trying to make out how to set the silverware up, a few shooting him alarmed glances of surprise, and he couldn't believe it.

He was the first one to finish. 

Izumi strode over to his desk, which was more in the back of the class rather than the front, and peered over at his set up with a scowl. “Elric, right? The Five?” She asked him after a moment, a single eyebrow now raised. He couldn’t tell if that was her expression of impressment or disappointment.

“Yes, ma’am.” He replied, barely resisting the urge to gulp. 

“Interesting.” Was all she said. She walked back to the front of the classroom and referred to her stopwatch with an expression of boredom, leaving Edward scowling to himself. 

The hell did that mean? 

He looked at his desk, unable to help the inkling of worry. Did he mix up the way the dessert fork and spoon go? Or something else entirely? To his complete dismay, he got no answer as the others began to finish, Russel being next and followed by Riza, then Winry and Jayden. The rest that finished he didn’t really know well, and he only recognized that the overall consensus had many Threes and Fours finishing last, including Jean, and most of the Twos finishing somewhere in between. 

There was a brief moment of tension-filled silence as Ling, the last to be still working, finished -though it seemed like that was only the case because he hardly cared and was in no rush at all- and there was nothing for all of the Selected to do other than worriedly watch Izumi as she continued watching the timer. She hadn’t outright said anything to anyone else either, so many were completely unsure of where they stood, but the faint beep sound of the stopwatch going off was quickly followed by the entire room sighing in relief.

Miraculously, everyone managed to finish within the three minutes. 

“Not bad.” Izumi conceded, looking up at them all. “Not everyone is getting a 100 for today, but you all pass. For now.” 

There was another collective breath, this time with inclinations of happiness and excitement, and the Selected sitting behind Edward, a girl with blue eyes and dark hair, unabashedly clutched her face with an utterance of, “Thank god.”

“However,” Izumi interrupted, voice cutting the room into silence once again. “I’m rather disappointed in how little of you got the table set completely correct.”

She began to walk down between the first two rows of desks with her pointer-stick in hand, nearly making everyone flinch as she slammed it down on the first table. 

“The  _ forks _ should be on the left, not the spoons. And you,” She turned and did the same thing to the next desk, making Rose, who was unfortunately in that seat, squeal. “The knife blades always face  _ inwards _ .” She pivoted, “As for you, sir, how many times had I made it clear that the dessert utensils go  _ above _ the plate?”

Izumi continued down the entire row like that, ruthlessly pointing out their mistakes to the entire class, and not holding back any criticisms. It was only for very few, that she completely passed and didn’t say anything, thus leaving them to relax in relief in their seats at somehow getting nothing wrong. This included Lyra and Riza, among the only lower castes, and most of the Twos. Ling looked so pleased with himself for no reason and Lust only continued to look at her nails, as if having expected it to be perfect. Jean, on the other hand, looked perfectly devastated when Izumi reached his desk to point out that he switched the order of courses, and Russell looked far too smug to be passed without a word further up. In front of Edward, his entire row was condemned as she came down, leaving the grand total to get it right so far to be 6 out of 20, with only Edward and the noirette girl behind him to be counted. 

As Izumi approached him, it did not help that he was in the last row and the second-to-last person to be assessed, because he could practically  _ feel _ everyone’s eyes on him. Maybe this is sorta his fault too, for being the first to finish. No doubt that had to be the reason for a few people, like Russel, to be watching him with sardonic expressions, as if just waiting for the moment to snide him for being overconfident or something. Izumi shot him a cold look, but then- 

She completely passed him and began to reprimand the girl behind him.

Edward couldn’t help the silent breath he released, along with the small satisfaction of having a lot of Twos looking offended at his success, and of Russell making a show of sneering in disgust before turning around. 

The assholes assume all Fives are dumb.

It was a strange feeling, though, because Edward always felt that school was way too easy, so he never felt pride from ever getting anything right, but this time it was different. Maybe it was because he felt like it was defending his caste, or maybe it was because a small part of him desperately wanted to rub something in the faces of the pompous rich people. Despite hating the lesson on table manners more than normal school, he couldn’t help but feel an inkling of happiness on being able to prove a point. Edward didn’t let the small smile escape him until class was over, though.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me you were this smart?” Jean half-heartedly whined once the trio had walked out of the classroom. Everyone was now traversing the hallway to get to the dining hall before breakfast started, and conversation had immediately broken out as soon as all the Selected escaped the first grueling class session. Edward scoffed and shook his head while Riza promptly ignored the older blond’s claim. 

“You just gotta listen to the lecture.”

“You didn’t do that, though! Don’t think I didn’t catch you just staring out the window a few times-”

“There were some interesting birds.” Edward defended, unable to help the slight cringe in his shoulders. Jean was completely right; he was a hypocrite to be preaching about paying attention in class when half the time he was just staring off into space. Jean only looked helplessly amused. 

“Those birds have the answers for you? ‘Cause you still managed to get everything right.”

“See you guys later!” He shot back, suddenly grateful to have already reached the dining hall. Talk about good timing. 

“Until next time, Elric.” Riza smiled, proceeding to drag Jean with her to their seats, forcing him to drop the subject and shoot a disheartened wave. Edward swore that woman was secretly a saint. He gratefully made his way around to his own seat and flopped down rather unceremoniously between Winry and Jayden.

“Finally, some fucking food.” He sighed.

Winry made a small face at the sudden profanity, but still nodded to his sentiment. “That class was torture. I could sit for hours learning about parts and tools and anything that needs oil to function. But silverware? Who was the idiot that thought to invent a way to make eating complicated?”

“The only reason I passed was because my parents forced me to learn it growing up.” Jayden lamented. Edward turned to face him and raised his eyebrows, the look easily prompting further elaboration.

“Oh, uh- I thought you knew..?” He tugged at his collar and shifted in his seat, “I’m a Three.” 

No, Edward didn’t know that, and, frankly, he didn’t really care. He couldn’t deny that was the slightest bit shocking though, only because Jayden’s attitude was so humble and almost even nervous, which was stark in contrast to most upper castes’ in the presence of lower castes like him and Winry. He smiled and shook his head.

“No, I didn’t, but it doesn’t matter. Your parents forcing you makes more sense now, though.”

Jayden’s shoulders seemed to slump, and if it was in relief, Edward wouldn’t understand why. “Yeah,” He meekly grinned, “They were really just trying to get me ‘cultured’ enough to be picked up by a Two.” 

“Damn, that sucks.” Edward frowned. He had heard of parents all the time being desperate to get their kids to marry up a caste, because that was the only way one could climb the hierarchy, and it was plenty common among the lower ones. But to be a Three and  _ still _ be trying to marry up? It was undoubtedly a comfortable lifestyle, and yet they were still instilling in their child that they had to be pretty, subservient, and other shallow things that could get an upper caste to take an interest in them. There were too many tragic cases of children running away to elope with someone else because of the pressure, or, even more horrifying, cases of them being so desperate that they marry someone triple their age and are whisked away to never be seen again by friends and family alike.

“They wanted better things for me.” He shrugged helplessly, but Edward could tell that there was more to it than he was letting on. Edward might’ve grown up barely keeping a home and food on the table, but one thing he was never forced into by his mother, even as a Five, was finding an upper caste to try to win over. It was a difficult endeavor too, because he couldn’t keep count of the colleagues he had on both hands that had tried and failed. Turned out that, despite not losing anything themselves, a lot of people looked down on ‘settling’ for a lower caste spouse, because they were also aiming to move up themselves. Not to mention the overall tragedy that such a mindset usually resulted in a lot of insincere love and fake relationships.

“They must be ecstatic now, then.” Winry said, and her tone was a weird mix of joking and pained. No had to say that ‘getting picked up’ by a Two was a guarantee now that they had all made the Selection. They all knew that even if they didn’t marry the prince, a One, there was definitely a line of Twos waiting to get a share regardless of their prior caste; Edward couldn’t tell if the prospect was either a relief or a nightmare. 

“For once.” Jayden grimaced. At the concerned glances that proceeded from both blonds, he forced a laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, sorry. I don’t mean to bring up deep-rooted parental issues or anything.” 

Edward stared at him for a moment, before hesitantly offering, shrugging. “My dad left my family to starve when I was just a toddler.”

“ _ My _ parents are both dead.” Winry casually contributed, getting both of the boys to whip their heads around and look rather alarmed. Edward made a choking noise and Jayden looked like he almost broke his shoulders by how hard he winced. There was a moment when no one knew what to say, knew whether it was even  _ okay _ to say anything, but the tension shattered as soon as she unabashedly grinned. “I only meant to add to Edward’s point that you’re not alone and that those issues are relatable. Too much?”

“A bit.” Edward huffed in disbelief, unable to help the way his lips quirked up anyway. 

“Point made.” Jayden agreed.

The three of them shared another look, and that was all it took to make them all break out into a loud fit of laughter. They got some weird looks from other Selected nearby, but none of them cared. After a long moment of laughing, Edward managed to get his breathing under control and clutched his stomach. “The fuck is wrong with us?” He asked.

“Society.” Jayden helpfully offered, still trying to calm his own laughter. 

Winry enthusiastically nodded. “I love blaming all my faults on the rest of the world.” 

“Never mind. We’re perfectly normal.” 

There was something almost poetic about a Five, a Four, and a Three getting along perfectly in humor  _ and _ trauma. Like, there had to be some metaphor in there somewhere. Whatever it was, Edward just decided to be appreciative of its existence, and was still in a good mood throughout breakfast despite the meal no longer being a buffet, because apparently that was a one time thing. They were served in fancy courses this time instead, and, if Edward was slightly irritated that the morning lesson on table sets was now being useful, having the company of Jayden and Winry had him not even noticing. 

\----

Turns out that Izumi was a scary genius, and Edward wasn’t quite sure how he felt about that. She was their instructor for the rest of their morning classes, going over so many subjects in such detail that she must’ve been specifically born to prepare anyone that was potentially becoming royalty. Or maybe she had been the prince’s private tutor growing up; that was a more realistic theory. 

Either way, looking at the rest of the week’s schedule had Edward confirming that she was their only teacher, despite the topics ranging from horse riding lessons to mathematics to political warfare. Thankfully, however, the rest of Monday was rather chill in comparison to the first class, with the only other three being an introduction to history, english, and embroidery (for some reason) that only required listening to a lecture and lacked any assignments thus far. He wasn’t ready to feel safe yet, though, as the list of classes they’d be taking as the week progressed had him positive that it wasn’t going to be exactly easy.

Lunch finally rolled by, which was thankfully still a free window rather than a required meal time, and Edward was quick to give his parting to his friends and leave to pick up a lunch before setting camp in the library. He explored the enormous rooms again, along with picking more books that had caught his eye, and settled for hours in the window seat. The past time was quickly becoming increasingly his favorite thing to do, and he was almost afraid of how complacent it was making him towards the idea of living at the castle. It was especially relaxing after the rush of life that had been the early classes. 

Although the mornings of everyday seemed impossibly packed, he was kinda grateful for the arrangement because that let his entire afternoons and most evenings completely free. At first he didn’t get why the schedule was designed in such a… unbalanced way, almost, until the realization finally struck him when he was in the drawing room for the day.

The sessions of forced ‘socialization’ had been moved to the evenings due to all of the morning classes they’d be taking from now on, and so Edward had made his way to perch on it’s -far less superior- window seat with a book in hand again. It was almost the same as the first one had been, besides one major fact: the Selection had officially started. 

Edward had almost forgotten that Monday was the start of, not only their classes and of the week, but of the competition itself. And it struck him, along with the realization of the reasoning behind the schedule, when Lust came sauntering in the room almost half an hour late. 

All of the eyes that turned on her didn’t seem to nearly even faze her, and she just flipped a lock of hair behind her shoulder with a smirk that was way too fucking haughty. 

“Pardon my being late,” She announced to everyone, “The prince invited me to watch a movie, and we didn’t exactly leave the castle theater right after the film finished, if you know what I mean.” 

There were audible gasps from a few of the Selected, particularly from other women, and there was a shift in the room’s atmosphere, but she didn’t seem to care a single bit as she swiftly took her place in the center of the main couch, Greed and Ling quickly making room for her. 

“Geez, Lust. What’d you do to get such a lead on all of us?” Greed asked. He was leaning back with his hands behind his head, an easy, sharp grin on his face. There was a slight twitch in his eyebrow though, and Edward vaguely made a note that he didn’t like the sound of the idea at all, despite looking so. Probably due to being Twos, but also because of their similar supercilious and seductive dispositions, Lust and Greed were quick to become fast friends, letting only a few others in their presence, like Ling, as if they were too good to tolerate anyone else. It was interesting, though, seeing her look back at him with the same expression that she usually only reserved for the lower castes; narcissistically superior and condescending. 

“Why, was it really not obvious that I would be the first one he’d take on a date?” She mused loudly, taking advantage of the fact that everyone was still watching and listening. 

“I suppose it wasn’t.” He shrugged, and Edward didn’t miss the flicker of irritation Lust made at the jab. It smoothed out quickly, though, and she merely laughed as if he was being ridiculous. At the outright mention of ‘date’, though, it all suddenly clicked for the blond. 

The schedule left the last half of the day free for  _ dates _ .

Being in the Selection wasn’t just about going to royalty-training classes or showing up to castle meal times, but actually competing to win the heart of the prince. The main problem with that, was that having time to do so at all was completely up to Roy’s discretion, so there was an even extra layer of rivalry that was born out of simply who got picked more or first. It wasn’t just living in the castle and having run-ins with the prince, like Edward had so far. Starting today, and from now on, any interaction with him would more and likely be under the pretense of a  _ date _ . A date that Roy, and only Roy, would personally instigate, and go out of his own way to specifically ask for company with an individual Selected. 

And so far, Lust was already winning, and everyone knew it.

“Actually-” Another Selected suddenly spoke up. It took an extra second for Edward to realize that it was Lyra, since he didn’t know her that well. “I think the first date he had was with me… Earlier today…” 

She was hesitant, it was easy to tell, but the vague firmness underneath her tone left little room for denial. It was the truth. Lust was still smiling, though it turned completely frozen, and it was with small satisfaction that Edward noticed her hands clench. 

“Oh? And what was it that you guys did?” 

The girl ducked her head, clearly embarrassed, but sat up straighter anyway. “We played a game of croquet.”

“Aw, how quaint.” Lust cooed, her voice practically dripping with sweetened venom. She put a hand on her chest, as if the notion was the cutest thing she’d ever heard, but then her gaze on Lyra turned predatory, her mauve eyes narrowing. “How far did you two go?” She bluntly asked, and the silent room somehow managed to become even quieter. Edward couldn’t even flip a page in his book without disrupting the whole air. 

“H-how far? Uh,  _ no _ . Why would we-?”

Lust nearly barked out a laugh, somehow maintaining elegance in that, and smirked. “That’s what I figured. Not quite sure if that qualifies as a date then.” She said flippantly. 

For a moment, Lyra, along with the rest of the room, remained frozen as if unsure what to do, but Lust seemed to decide for everyone by simply picking up the remote and turning on the TV. And slowly, ever so slowly, conversation began to pick up again among the Selected again, albeit starting out in hushed whispers, but Edward’s mind was whirring too loud. Was Lust implying what he  _ thought _ she was implying?

Had they already… done things? 

He didn’t peg Roy as the type to so quickly do that sort of stuff… but then again, he barely knew the prince, and he might act completely different now that he was taking people out on actual dates. Or maybe it was more of something that Lust pushed, as he could see the woman as not being above using her body to get what she wanted. Or maybe none of it was even true, because she wasn’t the type to be above lying to manipulate everyone either, but so early on in the game, or in competition to be more literal rather, it was hard to really tell. Already though, it was a hot topic, and Lyra quickly went under the barrage of other Selected. Many of who were unabashedly asking what it was like and for details, and all of them seemingly in unspoken agreement that Lust was too intimidating to approach with the same questions. Lyra seemed a bit flustered about all the attention, but kindly indulged them all anyway and only spoke of praise. Edward tried going back to his book, but he couldn’t help but overhear the snippets of, “He was really nice. He asked me about my family and about my job before coming here.” and of the reactions of swooning and dreamy sighs from those asking her about it, as if they were already anticipating their own dates. One of the guys that sat next to her, a Selected Edward didn’t know well, that looked to be her friend shook her shoulders playfully and asked her why she never said anything about it before, which had her laughing it off with a dismissive response of “I kinda wanted to keep it private, I guess.” 

The statement had Edward raising his eyebrows to himself, the notion spurring another realization that left him feeling vaguely sickened. After all, what could be worse than being in a competition besides being in a competition that didn’t even have a leaderboard? There were no points or scores to keep track of, there were no clear guidelines of what earned someone more, and there was definitely no guarantee that even the person that looked to be in first place would even win. They were all left completely blind and completely dependent on trying to scrap together realities based on rumors and hearsay, which were most likely not even reliable. And even then, there could be details and truths that many might not even say, like how Lyra was actually the first date Roy asked on. Edward was pretty confident that the humble girl would’ve never brought it up, had it not been for Lust waltzing in and taking the title. 

Though then, it was still very possible that there was someone else, or even more than one person, that also went on a date with Roy, and who were just choosing not to say anything for whatever reason.

It looked like Edward wasn’t the only one that reached that possible conclusion, as the room’s tension still lingered. Selected were eyeing one another up more than usual and he couldn’t help but feel like they were trying to see through anyone that would be trying to hide such a secret. The best thing to feed an insecurity would be the shroud of mystery that came not knowing where one stood on the playing field, after all. 

Edward couldn’t help but lightly scoff to himself. Some peacemaker the drawing room supposedly was. Who really thought that just making a room off-limits to the prince would have the Selected dropping the fact that they’re all rivals? The leveling glares and off-handed comments he’d heard exchanged since arriving at Central had been bad enough as it was, and he couldn’t help the spike of apprehension that came from the idea that this shit was just going to get  _ worse _ . 

This was going to get much,  _ much _ worse, wasn’t it?

As most of the room practically eavesdropped on Lyra’s answers to the group interrogating her experience, with Lust, and even Kimblee it seemed, occasionally sending a glare in her direction, Edward could feel his heart dropping, slowly. Even the library’s aspects weren’t enough to curb his growing dread, because this was actually happening now. The Selection was happening. 

The blond took a deep leveling breath, staring way too seriously at the pages of his book. He could only comfort himself with the notion that he secured a friendship position, and that he wasn’t  _ really _ competing seriously. The last thing he’d ever do was throw himself out for the prince’s affections, and he was far from being even remotely into Roy romantically. He could care less about the dates he was already going on with the other Selected, and he figured he only bothered at all because he only cared about staying in the competition for the monthly check. This was completely for mom’s medicine. That’s all. 

Then why was there now an ache in his chest that wouldn’t go away? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can we all agree that Ed is a big dumb for not realizing that the guitar playing session in his room with Roy wasn't a mini date already? Yeah? Okay, cool xD  
> Also on to whether or not Lust exaggerated certain aspects, that's to be found out.. >v<


	8. I Wanted to See You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being trapped in a harem for national entertainment must be doing things to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liveeeeeeee! Ah, sorry for the months of silence ;-; And I had been doing a good job updating every weekend for a while there too, dang it. Thank you nonetheless for your support and comments, because it's literally the only reason I come back sometimes and gosh darn thank you for reminding me how much I love these two idiots :^))) Also thank you all so much for the over 100 comments! Half of them are mine lol, but still, holy heckkkk, and *practically 200 kudos!!! *(at the time of writing this I'm at 195)* You guys are the best, seriously! I cri in french ;w;  
> Roy and Ed go out in this chapter! I had to make it cut off in the middle though 'cause if not I would've taken forever to get this out and y'all deserve better and should have at least this part sooner! It's still a little longer than most chapters though, I hope you enjoy! ><

Edward triumphantly hopped off of the treadmill, a huge grin on his flush face. “How’s… that,” He panted, “for ‘short’, asshole?”

Jean had the courtesy to look upset about having lost, but it didn’t last long as he broke into a helpless smile of his own. “I should’ve never doubted you.”

“Woah there,” Riza warned, steadying Edward’s shoulder as he began to lean too far sideways. Turns out that getting off a treadmill after running three miles straight on it was rather dizzying. Everything was spinning and it didn’t help that the young blond was completely light headed. “Oh shit,” He cursed, quickly gaining the support of the machine’s bar. “ _That’s_ disorientating.”

“So it is.” She lightly smiled. 

“That’s what you get for going to a complete stop instead of slowing it to a cool-down walk like I said.” Jean lamented, doing a great job sounding like the notion actually hurt him. 

“Oh, shut up.” Edward shot back, clumsily bumping a fist into his shoulder playfully. “You’re just sour that I beat you.”

“Am not.”

“Am too.”

“How was I supposed to know that some short stack could outrun me more than an entire mile?-”

“I am _not_ ‘some short stack’!-”

“Am too.”

“Am not!”

“Boys.” Riza sighed, effectively shutting them both up. She handed Edward a towel for sweat and a water bottle all while glaring at Jean. “You underestimated both of your opponents based on looks. Did the military teach you nothing?”

At that, the older blond cringed, clearly regretting his bravado from an hour earlier. He had announced confidently that he could beat them both at running nonstop, only to immediately lose. Jean had to stop only a mile and a half in, completely wheezing, while Riza had made the 2 miles way before he even gave up. She was faster than all of them by far, her mile time the lowest, but Edward made up for his speed with stamina and had kept going, surprising them both by making an entire extra set of four virtual laps.   
“Well I figured since he’s kinda on the shorter side-”

“My height is average for a male adult!” Edward cut in, only to get promptly ignored. He only didn't bother trying to voice it again, only because he had swore to himself a long time ago that he was too mature to rant about comments on his height now. Totally.

“And since you’re a girl…” Jean continued, only to immediately pause, Riza’s expression going dangerously cold. “I mean!” He corrected, quickly putting his hands up. “Not like being a girl or guy means anything- uh, shoot. Nevermind. You’re right.” 

Jean hung his head and over exaggeratedly pouted, looking like a kicked puppy, while Edward proceeded to choke for a second from trying to chug the entire water bottle. Riza rolled his eyes at both of them.

“Are you going to be alright to keep working out?” She asked, turning away from Jean’s dramatic expression to face Edward instead.

“Yeah, totally!” He managed after his coughing fit, “You know, I didn’t even know I could run that much.” Edward wiped his mouth, and whether the moisture that wicked off was from spilled water from his short choking episode or from sweat, he couldn’t tell. “I’ve never really been able to measure it when I’m out sprinting down alleys and climbing up roofs.”

“You’re insane.” Jean scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re good at it though. Had you ever considered joining the military back then?” His mirthful expression had turned a little more somber, but Edward didn’t miss the way his smile turned fake trying to keep his tone casual and the way Riza slightly tensed besides him. “Um, no. Not really.” He confessed. “They had been trying really hard to recruit me right before the Selection, because I had barely turned 18, but I hadn’t really had the time to think about it.”

That was a half lie, because in reality, his mom had forced him to promise _not_ to think about it. Trisha had never forced him to do anything before, so to have her completely refusing him to sign up for the military left him startled enough to accept her wish without much fuss, despite her sudden change in attitude leaving him with a million questions. But that had happened recently, so would have Edward’s mind wondered back to the idea later had the Selection not ever gotten in the way?

The military had its benefits, for sure, but it was a huge sacrifice at the same time, he knew. It gave the immediate new caste of a Three, like the Selection, except with much less comfy living and it was really only for the social esteem. Unlike the entirety of the rest of Amestrians who confided beneath the caste system, the military seemed like the only exception to the usual norms and lifestyles a caste granted them, and instead used its own hierarchy within the program. A hierarchy that left many at the bottom living in barracks and working to the point of physical deterioration, if not death, and living on battlefields or remote watch bases their entire lives. Only high ranking generals and officers got any type of life comparable to any non-military Three, and even then, it was filled with corruption of noble families always getting the roles instead of any old recruit from the street. 

Would Edward have been able to make enough money for mom’s medicine had he joined the military? If the Selection never happened, is that where he would’ve gone? The idea of gaining an early death or early physical burn out didn’t worry him nearly as much as the idea that joining would’ve had him constantly separated from his family and more than likely not even able to pay him well enough to properly provide, if he never managed to move up the ranks, that is. To think about it now, though…

“I think…” Edward continued, “Had I not been chosen for the Selection, I think I would’ve joined.” 

Riza nodded understandingly, but both her and Jean’s expression were in between looking proud and distraught. It was a commendable idea, but one that was a sad self sacrifice to make. No one had to say anything or ask anything else to know what that kind of decision would entail. _No one joins the military unless they have someone they’d want to send money back to,_ is what everyone in Amestris says. Edward believed it. 

“Hey, let’s do weights now.” Jean suddenly quipped. He clearly was ready to move on, and that was an idea all the blonds could easily get behind. Edward was a little tired as it was from over exerting himself, but he was also undeniably happy. Turns out working out felt fucking great after days of restless lecture-listening and castle confinement. It was barely the second time the trio had gone after lunch to workout together, but already he was glad to have established the routine. The bouts of soreness Edward woke up with the first time had him grinning all day, and the constant ache he held now was more than just welcomed. It made him feel productive, it was a chemical sign his muscles were getting stronger, it was a reminder of what had been familiar to him his entire life, and it was strangely the best feeling he could have at the moment. Being trapped in a harem for national entertainment must be doing things to him.

Nevertheless, Edward was happy. 

And of course, as it does all the time, that feeling had to eventually come crashing down. They were barely halfway through their reps, Riza was in the middle of spotting Edward in his bench presses, and Jean doing some deadlifts on his own, when there was an interruptive knock on the glass door. From the outside, the gym was a modern looking window-walled room, but they were mirrors from the inside looking out, including the door, so the visitor couldn’t be seen.  
Edward finished his last set right after, so let go of the bar on the rack and jumped up to get to the entrance, signaling Jean that he’d get the door before the older blond could drop his own bar. From the glass, Edward unintentionally got a good close look of himself as he grabbed the handle. 

His face was flushed and his tank top clung to his sweat gleamed skin, but his hair was surprisingly still looking rather well managed in the loose ponytail, so he figured he didn’t look too disheveled for whoever was at the door. It must’ve been another Selected, wanting to workout but unsure if they were welcomed while his group was there. Just because the gym was small, Edward could care less about space and ‘competition’ and was already prepared to invite them inside before he opened the door and suddenly paused. 

“Hello.” Roy beamed brightly. 

Edward nearly choked on nothing, completely caught off guard. He had promised himself ever since their garden encounter that he would never let the prince catch him looking like a mess, and yet, here he was. Suddenly that glimpse at himself before opening the door seemed far less ‘decent enough’. 

“H-hey, Mustang.” Edward forced. He could practically hear the rattle of the bars behind him from Riza and Jean hearing that and going still. “Do you, er, need anything?” 

“I wanted to see you, Edward.” Roy said simply. The blond barely stifled his guffaw and was suddenly very grateful about _already_ being red in the face; any blush would be impossible to tell apart. 

“Oh,” He forced a meek laugh, “Like, right now, though?”

“If you could spare the time.”

Edward looked over his shoulder, casting a helpless look at Riza and Jean. The two blonds looked equally as helpless, sharing a look between themselves before looking back at Edward. 

“Ah, I would,” He began, turning back around. “But we were in the middle of some upper body reps, and-”

“Oh, we’re practically finished!” Jean interjected. 

“Yes. In fact, I believe that was your last set, Elric.” Riza added.

Edward pivoted, feeling betrayed and appalled, and shot the two his best ‘what-the-fuck’ look. Jean waggled his eyebrows and shot him a thumbs up. Riza smirked and nodded. 

He hated them both.

“It appears that you’re free.” Roy grinned, putting an arm on the frame of the doorway. This man had absolutely no shame, and now Edward had to try to ignore the snickers he heard behind him. Did Riza and Jean not care at all? Weren’t they supposedly ‘competition’ with one another? This harem really must be doing things to him then, because now he was actually _wishing_ for his friends to be more competitively serious about this. 

“I guess I am.” Edward conceded. He gave Riza and Jean a casual wave, along with his best glare, in parting, and stepped outside into the hall, closing the door behind him after Roy gave his curt good day wishes to the two of them. 

“Is it alright if I hit the showers first? I won’t take long.”

Roy’s smile somehow got brighter. “Of course. May I pick you up from your room in a half hour?”

“Sure. That’s fine.”

Edward didn’t know what he was even doing agreeing to this. He had been in the middle of working out, dammit. It wasn’t like he despised the prince of anything (surprisingly), but it was the first time they were talking since the unofficial official start of the Selection. Did that mean it was a date? Or was he just coming to him as a friend?- because that had been an agreement between them, after all. Edward wanted to hit his own head for considering anything else; yes, that had to be it.

“Lovely. I cannot wait to see you.” Roy took his hand and gave him a chaste kiss before Edward could process and reject the action, shooting him one last overly-charming smile before turning to walk away.

Edward stood still there for a moment, completely caught off guard. 

Okay... so, maybe not?

The blond vigorously shook his head, and forced himself to turn around to head towards his room. Finding his way there luckily proved to be a good distraction, as it took still having to pay attention to the turns and hallways since he still wasn’t completely used to the elaborate labyrinth of the castle.

As usual, his three maids were there. Mei was hemming something on her lap, while both Claudia and Jasmine sat on the corner couch together reading different books. They stood up to attention when he entered, except for Mei, and Edward quickly waved them to sit back down. Jasmine was getting better at accepting his ‘weird’ requests to relax around him, but Claudia would still hesitate for a moment. This habit ended up useful, however, as Edward ran into his bathroom in mind to start a shower, only to run back out again. 

“Why the fuck does this rich castle of a prison not have a _shower_?” 

“I’ll start the bath for you, sir!” Claudia quickly quipped, going towards the bathroom. She seemed genuinely anxious to do something for him sometimes, and he really needed it, so he let her pass him this time. That didn’t stop him from making a vigorous mental note to demand Mei to teach him how the blasted hot-tub of a bath worked later, though. 

“Thank you, Claudia.” 

“O-of course!” She flushed, ducking her head. 

Edward sagged, sitting on his bed tiredly. Half an hour suddenly didn’t feel like enough time. 

“In a rush?” Mei nonchalantly asked, not even looking up from her work. 

“Mustang asked to see me.” Edward admitted, hoping that would explain everything. No, he was not nervous, no, this was not a date, and no, he was most definitely not overthinking any of this at all. 

Totally. 

Mei and Jasmine exchanged a conspiratorial look, before breaking out into wide grins. 

“Didn’t I tell you, Jas?” Mei beamed, lightly jabbing the girl’s shoulder. “And you doubted me.”

“I will never doubt you again, miss.”

“Wait.” Edward interjected, “Doubt _what_?”

Mei looked up at him for the first time, only to shoot him the most mischievous smug look he’d ever seen from the maid. It was scary how much it reminded him of Alphonse. 

“I’m only telling you because I’m profiting.” She began, crossing her ankles. “I convinced Jasmine and Claudia to pitch in on my bet I had with the other head maids of the Selected, and we just won 560 euros.”

Edward felt a familiar pool of dread settle in his stomach. “Won 560 euros on _what_?” 

“Don’t worry, don’t worry!” She cooed, probably from seeing the look on his face. “Just a small bidding pool on who the best looking are in the competition.”

Edward wrinkled his nose. “What does that have to do with Roy wanting to see me?”

“Oh blondie, blondie…” Mei rolled her eyes, and Jasmine looked away as if trying to not laugh. “How many dates has the prince gone on?”

“Um,” Edward paused, unsure where she was trying to go with that. “I think five... of them?”

He wasn’t completely sure on that number, because it had all been from hearsay, but so far the ordering seemed to be Lyra, Lust, Greed, Kimblee, and Winry, whom was late to class that same morning on the excuse, which was the only reason everyone found out about it when otherwise Edward was sure that his friend would’ve never the flaunted the fact. 

“And what’s today?” Mei persisted.

“Wednesday?”

Edward waited for an explanation for a moment, but Mei was looking at him as if he was supposed to figure it all out from that. “What’s your point?” He sighed. 

“Seriously, blondie. I thought you were smarter than that.” 

“Hey!-”

“How many dates has the prince had per day?”

“Well today isn’t over, and I don’t think we’re going on a date, but if you include me… that’s two each day?”

“And how many days are there in the work week?”

“Five?!” Edward snapped, throwing his hands up. “I’m not some fucking elementary-schooler! What does this have to do with anything?”

Mei regarded him for a moment, as if she was debating something in her mind, before she shrugged and went back to her sewing. “Look. The first week of the Selection is by far the most telling. Everyone knows that. The public, _and_ the prince. The first Central Report will be Friday, leaving only five days as opposed to seven until then. With only time to have a proper date about twice a day, and with only ten Selected to see out of the twenty-two, that leaves twelve with completely nothing to show for. Out of everyone, the prince understands this the most, and the last thing he’d want to do is have to leave anyone out.” Mei paused and looked up at Edward, her expression turning dramatically distressed. “So, oh how _ever_ will his highness choose which 10 to be not utterly ashamed of themselves by come time of the first nationally televised Report?”

Edward crossed his arms and shifted on the edge of his bed uncomfortably. “I dunno. Whoever had the most interesting interviews with him?”

“Wrong!” Mei jumped up. “In no particular order, he will ask out the top ten Selected that he finds _attractive_.” 

“Oh, really?” Edward deadpanned. 

“Yes, really!” 

“Isn’t that assuming he’s kinda shallow?”  
“Not at all!” Mei defended, putting her hands on her hips. “It would be pretty shallow for his highness to base his entire idea of your guys’ personalities based off one measily interview, so he’s doing it by the most natural standard first. Once he has a single date with everyone, though, then he’ll be able to properly go by personality. _Duh_.”

“Oh, so you know the prince that well, then, huh?” 

“Of course I know him well. I also know his tastes very well, which is how your maids just made more than half a grand today.” Mei grinned. “Good thing you’re just his type.” 

Edward made a face and opened his mouth, about to say something, when Claudia came back in the room and handed him a towel. 

“Your bath, sir.” She nodded. Edward accepted the fluffy cloth gratefully, but still shot Mei his best glare. He didn’t want to have to really think about what she was saying, because the idea was just… ridiculous. The Selection candidates were literally hand-picked by the King and the council themselves, to look good for the prince and look good on TV. Everyone there was generally considered ‘attractive’, and that in itself is such a subjective thing. It didn’t mean anything. But, according to Mei, apparently in Roy’s eyes, Edward was subjectively… he shook the thought from his head. Why the hell did he care? ‘ _Friends’_ , he reminded himself. He probably just wanted to see him to confide in him as a _friend_. 

“I’m just gonna shower- uh fuck. _Bathe,_ I mean.” He groused, getting up to leave. 

“Thanks for your contribution to our pool.” She smiled gleefully, her fingers flexing as if she already had the pile of euros in her hands. Edward froze right at the doorway, suddenly pivoting. “Who else have you bet on??” 

“Top secret!” Mei chirped. He must have made some sort of face, because Jasmine and Claudia began to laugh. 

“Fine.” 

Despite hearing the trio break out into giggles once he closed the door, Edward couldn’t help but smile to himself. They were really refreshing after hours of having to be around stuck-up Twos and from having to sit through back-handed compliments and judgmental sideway glances. It was a relief to know that he had people he could depend on, and even bet on, apparently. Or more accurately, get ‘bet on’ by. They might poke fun at him sometimes, mostly Mei, but they were kind to him. Especially Claudia. 

Edward paused in his musings, having gotten fully undressed and now facing the tub. Which had white lily petals covering the entire surface. And an incense burner on the edge which brought the sharp scent of something floral. And a small note that said ‘His highness’s favorite smell is flowers.’ 

What the fuck.

Where’d she even get all these petals from? He huffed to himself, immediately going for the faucet, only to freeze being faced with a ton of buttons that he didn’t know what to do with. Last time he tried using the tub himself, he had flooded the bathroom and nearly burned himself trying to turn it off. And the girls more than knew this. 

“Clau-di-a!” He shouted, prolonging each syllable. An eruption of laughter emerged from the other side of the door, and suddenly he knew that this was all a plot against him.

Now he was going to have to see the prince smelling like fucking flowers.

He took back what he had thought about them. Everyone in this competition was completely insane and senseless. 

As he lowered himself into the water secretly hoping her note wasn’t some joke anyway, he was beginning to think that he was too. 

\-----

Edward didn’t know what he was thinking leaving his maids with the power to choose his clothing, because now he was stuck wearing some white dress shirt with a fucking vest. It was black and had this subtle leaf-swirl pattern that was just in shinier black, and the buttons were fancy silver with a matching chain link looping from a pocket. He had tried to take it off and just wear the shirt, he really did, but Mei was absolutely set on having him wear it. She said it was the mascline counterpart of the corset, and that it exemplified his lean torso and waist in the way that the loose dress shirt never could, and that she’d stab him with her hemming needle if he didn’t wear it. Edward didn’t want to know whether a threat from Mei was one that’d be followed through on or not, but he didn’t want to chance it and finally -reluctantly- agreed to wear the blasted thing. 

The shade of ebony matched the slacks and dress shoes perfectly, so he reasoned it wasn’t that bad. Not that it stopped him from perpetually scowling at himself through the mirror on the wall as he waited on his bed, however. The longer he stayed here, the longer the maids were hovering around him, straightening his cuffs or re-brushing his hair. Edward began to get anxious, because now Mei was talking about maybe trying to put his hair into a ‘half-down and half-up’ style, which the blond was vehemently opposed because he didn’t know what that meant and it didn’t sound anything at all like ‘ponytail’.

Finally, there was a knock at the door. Half an hour had never gone by so slowly, and Edward didn’t know whether he was more relieved to leave the maids or nervous to see the prince. Wait, no. He wasn’t nervous. Just… uncomfortable, as anyone would be with a practical stranger. Yeah, that was it, or at least, that’s what Edward told himself as he opened the door to see Roy and his stomach did an uncharacteristic flip.

“Good evening.” The prince greeted. 

“‘Sup.” Edward shot his maids a parting nod and closed the door behind him, turning around to give Roy what he hoped was an easy smile. 

“How was your day?” 

It was a simple traditional question to greet someone, Edward knew, but something about the way Roy had said it had the blond immediately scowling. The tone was different from one he’d ever heard from the prince before and, in what way, he couldn’t place, which was kinda.. unsettling? And he had no idea why, because the tone itself wasn’t bad. In fact, it was deep and … silky, even? The fuck? In fact, the blond belatedly realized that he had sounded like this at the gym too. 

Edward unabashedly cast his suspicious gaze on the prince himself, as if that would reveal what the change was. Roy looked as he always has, immaculately well dressed and groomed, but there was something completely different about him this time in even his expression. He was just smiling, but there was something else underneath it that the blond couldn’t place, but Roy’s lip twitched and brows slightly furrowed before he could try to decipher it. 

“Is something the matter-?” The prince managed to look casual about the inquisition, but there was an undeniable flash of confusion in his eyes. 

Edward ignored it and instead scrunched his nose, suddenly compelled to lean closer. Ignoring the outright startle the prince now displayed, as the blond proceeded to unabashedly sniff by his neck.

“Edward?!-”

“Is that cologne?” He abruptly asked, cutting him off. Roy looked back with an equally perplexed expression. “I suppose so??”

“No, but that’s not it.” Edward thought aloud, “You’re different.”

“You say that as if it’s an accusation.” Roy tried joking.

“Because it is. You’re being weird.”

“Says the one who just outright -and please correct me if I’m wrong and somehow imagined it- _sniffed_ me.” 

Edward chuckled and made a show of rolling his eyes. “Oh, calm down. I was trying to figure it out is all.”

Roy looked at him for a moment with a contemplative look, before stepping closer and leaning impossibly close to the junction between the blond’s shoulder and neck. The holy fuck? He was sniffing him back??

“The hell, Mustang!” Edward flinched. “What’re you trying to pull?”

“I was just attempting to figure out what _you_ were trying to figure out.” He said, a lax smile once again on his face. 

“And that is?” Edward pressed.

“You…” The prince crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow. “Smell like lilies, actually.”

“Fantastic.” Edward groused, mentally cursing his maids’ enthusiasm for the umpteenth time that day. 

“No, I mean… It’s nice.” Roy admitted, looking dangerously cautious himself, as if what he was saying was genuine. “You look rather nice as well, if I might add. I don’t recall seeing you in a vest before.”

Edward tried to give him a ‘no bullshit’ glare, but he doubted he utilized the full effect properly if the heat he felt on his face was anything to go by. Instead of accepting the compliment, pointing out that the whole thing was his maids’ idea, or returning the notion -which wouldn’t have been a lie, unfortunately- Edward just scoffed and shifted, putting his hands in his pocket. 

“So were you planning to just talk to me in front of my door all day, or are we actually going to go somewhere?”

“Oh, my apologies,” Roy easily beamed, his tone thankfully not so different sounding this time. “Yes, I thought that we could perhaps enjoy time to chat outside.”

“In the gardens?”

“Not quite.”

Edward shot him a curious look. What else was outside besides the garden? And the blond knew from the contracts that the Selected weren’t allowed to leave the castle premises, which was huge, sure, but it’s not like they could go into town or anywhere any time soon. 

“Is it illegal?” He tried. Roy gave him an amused chuckle and shook his head, turning around and starting to lead the way down the hall. “You said that so hopefully.”

“Eh, worth a shot.” Edward shrugged.

They walked side by side together, the prince taking a turn into a wing that the blond had never seen before. It looked like the other grand halls, but something about it seemed more genuinely rustic. Perhaps it was the lack of televisions on the wall. 

“This is the East Wing.” Roy explained as they started going down stairs. “It’s one of the only parts of this castle that hasn’t been completely renovated in the last century, and a lot of the rooms here are no longer in use due to safety issues from the walls being hundred year old stones. Be sure to watch your step, there might be some sinkholes developing as well.” 

“So that’s why you were acting so weird.” Edward put his fist in his palm in a dramatic show of eurika. “You brought me here to be murdered.”

The prince looked over his shoulder with bewilderment. “Wha- I would never-”

“Never pegged you as a gullible type.” Edward teased, unable to help a cheeky grin. Roy scoffed and turned back around, continuing down an obscure spiral of steps. 

“Forgive my impudence.” 

“Hey,” The blond frowned, taking a large stride to get in front of the prince and playfully jab him in the ribs. “Don’t be so serious. Loosen up, buddy.” 

Roy looked down at him for a long moment, both of their eyes searching the other’s. The prince evidently yielded first, for some reason looking way too defeated. “Why is it that you must instantly see through everything?”

“What?”

“Nevermind, we need to leave this area at once.” Roy shook his head, opening a door to another hallway.

“Wait a minute, you can’t just brush it off like that.” Edward accused. He stubbornly stayed in front of him, intending to block him from going down the hallway if he had to, but the prince surprisingly just laughed. 

“No, Edward. I’m serious, look.”

“Wha-?” He turned around, “Oh…”

The old paint with some chipping and the musky smell of dust from the previous hallways was one thing, but this was on a whole other level of ‘hasn’t been completely renovated in the last century.’ For god’s sake it looked straight out of a medieval movie! There was no paint to begin with, and the walls were dark grey stone, casting the atmosphere in a creepy light had it not been from the shrewd windows. Unlit lanterns hung on chains, many of them broken if not on the floor, and metal bars were questionably lined along the bottom in some places, as if that was the only opening to a darker and chilling basement underneath.

“It violates safety codes, remember?” He explained. 

“Is this where your ancestors kept your prisoners or something?” Edward asked, wrinkling his nose. It smelled humid. “No, nothing of the sort.” Roy smiled, gently linking his arm with the blond’s to continue leading him down. “This used to be the kitchens, actually. At least I think.” 

“And the basement through those bars?”

“Um, I suppose… Actually, I’m not sure.”

“Reassuring.” Edward nodded, too engrossed at trying to peer at every misshapen barrel and broken box they passed to even notice that the prince was the one pulling him along rather than his own feet. “Sick. I like it.” 

He caught the weird look the prince shot him in his peripheral vision and didn’t directly look back at him until Roy ended up chuckling. “Well, I am sorry to possibly disappoint, but we are merely passing through.”

“To where, again?”

“To here.” Roy said. He let go of the blond’s arm and opened the door they had reached, the hinges looking as if they were close to falling off. 

Edward was about to call bullshit, or make another jab at the prospect of him about to be murdered, or something equally suspicious, but then his eyes went wide at the scene before him. 

“Oh, woah…” 

If this part of the castle was indeed straight out of a medieval movie, this must have been the fairytale part, no doubt. They were under a pergola, warm light filtering in shafts through the leaves curling around the wooden beams. It was overgrown, with long grass and flowers sprouting through the stone pavement that used to be flat and smooth long ago even, but immensely charming despite that. He could hear the tranquil trickling of water, and saw that there was a calm stream that the path led to. The structure of the pergola continued over and across it, casting the clear surface in glittering slopes as it sloshed around in the sun. Suddenly the humid smell made sense, but was immensely more pleasant in the open air under the shade of the overhead growing plants, and even more so as a fresh gust of wind blew by.

“It’s the part of the moat.” Roy breathed, seemingly still as mesmerized despite seeing it before. “The servants were none more of slaves, really, a long time ago. They weren’t ever permitted to leave castle grounds, and the moat that protected them equally kept them trapped. This is a secret dock they built, under the guise of a garden.”

“That’s why the pergola reaches across the water.” Edward realized.

“Yes. They couldn’t have been seen crossing with the boat from the towers above. Most of the plants that used to have perfectly covered this path seem to be gone now, however.”

There were indeed many gaps, holes above them that lacked both vine, leaf, and flower, and trails of bush fell through some in the middle of the path as opposed to only drooping over the sides like the most of them. 

“I’m surprised the wood hasn’t rotted away, to be honest.” Edward walked over to one of the poles, most of it entwined with vines spiraling up it, and followed the height up to where the lines of dark oak ran overhead, each beam a good space apart. It was astonishing as it was now still, but to imagine plants reaching over all that distance and completely covering the structure and turning it into some floral tunnel was astonishing. 

“Still appears sturdy though, correct?”

The blond absently nodded, still taking in the beautiful sight around him. “Yeah, yeah…” He paused, turning to face the prince, who was making this serious face. ”Wait, why are you asking?”

Roy put his hands behind his back and seemed to be shifting his weight between his toes and heels, and back again.  
“Well. I was wondering if you’d be up to try something. Although I regret to admit that it requires you having faith in all of this old wood.”

“Mustang, I’m already standing under this whole thing. A little too late now to be wondering whether or not it’ll collapse.”

“Ah, this is a tad different, however.”

Edward frowned. “What do you mean?”

Roy looked away towards the stream up ahead, as if debating something with himself for a moment. “Why don’t you come and take a look at it?” He offered. 

Before Edward could accept or deny the suggestion, the prince was walking back towards the door, this time turning into a small alcove on the outside wall of the castle rather than going back inside. Undoubtedly curious, the blond bounded after him, reaching the corner and seeing the large thing of wood behind it. 

It was a boat. 

Roy grabbed one edge of it, Edward wordlessly grabbing the other side, and they carefully slid it down onto the ground. It looked more like a canoe, considering its size, but it was a bit wider and deeper. It was still rather small, however, and could probably fit only three people without sinking, and it definitely looked _old_. The wood was discolored and there were edges slightly chipped away, but…

“It _looks_ fine.” Edward admitted, bending down to look under the boat’s nose to check for any discrepancies. “This boat is what you were referring to, right? The oak seems pretty solid.”

Roy put his hands on his hips, looking down at it with contemplation, before looking back up to meet the blond’s eyes. 

“Are you willing to try it?”

“Hell yeah, I am.” He beamed, rolling up his dress shirt sleeves. “Let’s get ‘er in the water and make sure she floats.”

The smile the prince returned seemed almost out of place; it was bright, whatever layer had been covering it before was completely gone now, and he looked helplessly excited. “I found this the last time I came down here, though I have yet to see if this old thing works properly.”

“You come down here often?” Edward asked, the small detail getting the most of his attention for some reason. 

“Well…” Roy turned to the side, taking off his princely coat entirely and putting it down on a ledge after folding it, thinking. “Not often, I would say. At least… not any more.” He proceeded to take off his gloves and roll up his own dress shirt sleeves, and for some reason Edward found himself trailing the motion with his eyes. Forearms and wrists were a body part that weren’t normally considered attractive, nor sexual in any way, but for some reason the blond felt heat rise to his face looking at them. His arm and hands just looked so… strong? Pfft, manly? The fuck kind of adjective was that, anyway? It was probably just because the prince was always wearing these fancy medal-adorned coats and jackets and gloves all the time, so seeing him only in his slacks and dress shirt with the sleeves pulled up -looking more like Edward or Alphonse coming home from a formal gig rather than a heir to the monarchy- was...nice. 

“I used to come here a lot as a kid, though. I had even jumped in the moat once.” Roy finished, turning back around. Edward’s eyes snapped up to meet his before he could get caught in his thoughts staring. “Really?” He grinned. “You jumped in the moat?”

“I was grounded.” Roy groused, making them both laugh. He took one end of the boat and Edward got the other and they began to take it down the path. 

“ _I_ was grounded for things like stealing wallets from our clients, not going for a swim.” 

“You would actually steal wallets?” Roy chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“Yup. Watch out because I’m a full fledged criminal. And one time I punched this brat in the face for making fun of Al, but otherwise I’m ashamed to report that I’ve been pretty much a model citizen since the age of twelve.”

“Ah, what a true shame.”

“Definitely.”

“Who’s Al?”

“Hm?” Edward looked up, suddenly caught off guard. He had been paying more attention to keeping in step with the prince, to keep the boat bouncing back into his thigh at a minimum. “Oh, he’s my little brother. Just one year younger than me though.”

Roy nodded understandingly. “Ah, the same brother who filled out the application for you?”

“That’s the one.” He grinned. “Little piece of shit sometimes, but I’d die for him. Seriously, our mom was the only reason I didn’t get expelled from school for hitting that kid who was bullying him. I knew exactly what might happen if I even touched him, because he was a Four, but I didn’t care.” 

They reached the water and, in sync, slowly brought it down to the surface. For a moment it dipped low on its own accord and looked as if it’d sink, but then bobbed back up again.

“She floats!” Edward grinned, dusting off his palms. He looked to Roy expecting a similar expression, but the prince was instead looking at the water all serious again.  
“Oh.” He suddenly said, as if realizing something. 

“What?” The blond asked.

“So you _actually_ punched a child.” Roy mused to himself. He swiftly took a step in the boat and easily kept his balance as it swayed under his weight and fully got on, then looked back up and at the blond. “I had thought you were exaggerating before.” He was actually grinning again, and Edward didn’t buy it for a second.

“No, before that, Mustang. What were you thinking?” 

“Pardon?”

“I can smell bullshit from a mile away, remember? And right now you stink.”

Roy looked at Edward incredulously for a second, which looked pretty humorous while he was casually standing on a boat, and then let out a deep exhale, his shoulders slumping. “I believe you now.” He laughed, but it was hollow. “Though I really don’t wish to trouble you at all with these frivolous thoughts. Please forget it.”

“Eighty percent…” Edward drawled, swaying on his toes at the edge of the path. Roy seemed to not understand what he was talking about at all for a moment, before his face went completely alarmed. 

“Wait, how did it go all the way back up by ten percent??”

“Because.” Edward frowned. “You’re not being honest.”

Roy cringed, completely guilty in his reaction, but tried to meekly smile it off. “It’s rather true that I don’t want you to have to worry about it.”

“But they’re not ‘frivolous thoughts’.” Edward shot back. He stepped into the boat with a huff and crossed his arms in front of the prince once he got there. “I don’t give a shit if it’s dignified for a prince or not, and we made a deal. You can be honest with me, Mustang. That’s what friends are for.”

The prince looked at him, caught off guard, before shifting to sit down at the bench in the front with a defeated sigh. “I…” He began, pausing. Roy worked his jaw as if he was debating something in his mind and wouldn’t look at him. Edward waited. 

“I’ve never had a friend before.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy: *Deploys charisma 100 because acting overly charming is his instinctual shield he puts up so that everyone can like him and because it's easier to not be an awkward mess when he's making the OTHER person an awkward mess by using his dashing good looks and social status and it's easier to feel good about himself when people are wrapped around his finger and plus he wants to subtly seduce Ed but yes this shield is impenetrable no one will notice or see right through it yes*  
> Roy: How are you?  
> Edward (immediately): *sniffs him* The fuck is up with you??  
> Roy: ...  
> Roy: Bruh
> 
> Alert, alert, Roy and Ed are in a boat together, how could this go wrong? xD We'll have to wait and see and yo I'm serious *I* don't even know what's going to happen because I just roll with it lol.  
> I had gotten busy tying loose ends up from school and scheduling tests, basically hardcore preparing for my senior year, but most things are done so I should have more writing time again! I'll hopefully update soon! For anyone who's a fellow American, please stay safe, these are some crazy times in our country (oof). Thank you!! <3


	9. Caustic Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and give me your hand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF it's 2 am so if there's a lot of grammar/spelling errors, I'm so sorry I tried my best ;w; I was just so excited to get this to you guys!! I like rewrote/wrote most in this chapter just earlier today despite working on it on and off throughout the entire week, and I was on such a roll that I didn't want to stop with posting it!  
> Also, thank you all so much for the support last chapter! Each comment really means a lot to me and I appreciate how kind and understanding you all were to my period of absence; it really touched my heart! ;v; I'll be doing my best to update around once a week again, and, at the very least, this chapter is extra long! It's 15 pages which lined up nicely because I reached exactly 100 pages on my word doc! Haha, time to make a new one because scrolling down so much constantly while it slowly loads in chunks is a jerk :^)  
> Ah, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! >< Also "Caustic Reflection" is such a perfect title in so many ways because 'Caustic' can mean being snarky (Ed's constant mood lol), being intensely burned (with love?? With passion?? Hmmm), Ed does some 'reflecting' that definitely burns him in an angst way tho ripp, and lastly on a literal sense, but all those things will make sense once you read this chapter ^^  
> Please enjoy!

“I’ve never had a friend before.”

“You’ve never…” Edward processed the words slowly, trying to pick apart how it could be a manipulative lie or an exaggeration. But Roy sat there, looking away with his hands clasped and head low, looking ashamed. It was true. 

“Oh…” The blond slumped in his own bench, now feeling rather fucking peachy. The boat silently dipped and swayed a bit at the new distribution of weight, but it calmed and stilled by the time the prince looked up again.  
“There’s thousands of people…” He started slowly, “Who claim to love the heir of Amestris. There’s hundreds of tutors, servants, and councilmen, even my own parents, who care for me, but…” He trailed off, looking at the water again instead. Edward watched him as his expression shifted into something unreadable, and he felt his chest seize as he realized that Roy had closed off again. He wasn’t going to finish. In another second he would probably just shake his head and try to laugh it off, apologizing for it too and everything. 

Edward wasn’t going to let him.

“But…” He continued for him, choosing his words carefully. “You think that they’re just doing their job.” The blond did his best to not make it sound like a question, because the last thing he wanted to do was leave the prince room for denial. Roy’s gaze shifted and met his, and his brow creased like he registered something. That was all the sign Edward needed to know that he had hit the mark. “Is that what you really think?” 

“I-” Roy looked incredibly confused for a moment, in between wanting to jump on the defensive and from being at a complete loss for words. He sighed. “Well... it is rather true.”

Edward regarded him carefully for a moment as if trying to see right through the words themselves.

When he had first come to the castle, he had expected the prince to be completely snobbish and spoiled. He expected to walk in the castle and immediately be kicked out for not groveling completely at his feet. He had expected the prince to be forceful, demanding, entitled, and, even worse, completely in the power to do so. 

But Roy wasn’t like that at all. 

Edward was catching it now; the moments that separated the prince from his title. He was impeccably chivalrous, a gentleman of the highest caliber, so charmingly kind that it was almost to a point of frustration of how perfect he outwardly seemed. Especially compared to the standards the blond had of him before. But not all of it was real, or rather, that wasn’t all there was to him. He was innately keeping his distance, swindling his way through conversations like a bird obsessively circling the same spot before making sure it was safe to land. 

How many times did the landing burn him? 

“I don’t think that’s true.” Edward defended. Roy gently shook his head and humorlessly chuckled, which sounded more like a scoff, smiling bitterly. “Edward-”

“No, I’m right.” He pressed, uncaring with how brash that sounded, “You may not have had a conventional friend -or hell, maybe not even someone incredibly close- but I’m sure many people see you as more than just their prince.”

Roy contemplated that for a moment, and nodded half-heartedly. “I suppose that could be…” He conceded, trying to smile reassuringly. 

“You don’t believe me.” It was easily a statement rather than a question this time. 

“Edward,” He started, sighing again, “I appreciate your effort, and I’m flattered, really, but... I don’t believe that it’s exactly the same-”

“My maids,” Edward cut him off, “Speak very highly of you. One of them apparently even knows you well enough to put money on it. Literally.” He was unable to help the light laugh that escaped his throat from remembering Mei. “It’s just… They wouldn’t adore you so much if they were just doing their job, Mustang. And I think there’s clearly a lot to be said by how a prince treats his servants.”  
There was silence for a moment as no reply came. A light breeze blew by, ruffling the blond’s bangs, and Edward hesitantly brushed one behind his ear to eye Mustang carefully. Had he gone too far? The prince had clearly wanted to drop the subject already, let alone get put into it, and Edward quite honestly wasn’t so sure why he was so bent on proving him wrong. 

Thankfully his gamble proved to not end disastrously for once, it seemed, and Roy didn’t appear upset at all. Just surprised. 

“Oh…” He breathed, this time actually considering the blond’s words. “That’s… very nice to know, actually.” Roy paused and looked up. When their eyes met, he smiled genuinely, and it for some reason made Edward’s heart skip a beat. “If I may ask though… you said something about money being involved?”

“Oh, _that_ ,” Edward forcefully laughed, hoping to not show his embarrassment. “They made some bets on you and the, um- Selection. Like who you’d ask out before the first Report and… stuff.” He shrugged.

“Is that so?”

“Apparently they’re winning.”

“Who exactly? Your maids?”

“Nice try, Mustang. I ain’t no snitch.” Edward grinned.

Roy suddenly laughed, the prospect clearly amusing him for some reason. “They must have figured out my type then.” He reasoned, resting an elbow on the side and leaning into it. The way Roy was looking at the blond now, though…

“Could I ask _you_ something?” 

“Of course.”

Edward shifted in his seat, now the one to be preoccupying his gaze with the water instead. He watched it slosh around for a brief moment, steeling himself. 

“This isn’t a date, right?”

“Oh,” Roy sat up straighter, putting his hands in his lap now instead. “Would that... bother you?”

The water glittered in the sunlight, and Edward wished that the view was pretty enough to keep him from frowning. Honestly? The idea terrified him. 

“I…” He wiped his hands over his thighs. “Was hoping you just wanted to talk as friends…” He hinted. The blond spared a glance at the prince after a silent moment, and the flash of hurt on Roy’s face immediately made him regret saying that. “I didn’t mean-” He stopped himself, swallowing. The last thing he wanted to do was make the prince feel bad, dammit.

“Look.” Edward sighed. “It’s not you or anything, it’s just…” He paused, not wanting to admit something so embarrassing. It was too late to back out now though, because the prince was now looking at him expecting the rest of the explanation.

“I’ve never been on a date before.” He confessed. “It’s not a big deal. I’ve just never had the time. You know, I was always going out to gigs just trying to get through the month ‘cause, you know, money’s an issue. But it’s not that bad -I make enough to pay for the bills. Alphonse had been able to help out more too, so that’s nice.” Edward rushed, forcing a laugh. It suddenly felt hot despite being under shade, and he mentally berated himself for pathetically _rambling_.

For fuck’s sake. 

Instead of laughing it up like Edward expected, Roy’s expression just shifted into something immensely curious for some reason, eyebrows raised.

“Not even once? Even at your age?”

The blond shot him a mildly offended look, which had the prince immediately putting his hands up. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to overstep.” He suddenly pardoned, as if just realizing what he asked. 

Edward huffed. “It’s fine. But -I guess- just don’t expect anything, okay? Which I get could be difficult, because you’ve probably been on plenty, er- dates, and stuff _at your age_...” He imitated, trailing off as the reminder barely processed fully for the first time. He never kept up with the tabloids, due to no interest nor time, but even he had heard about the dating scandals of ‘Prince Roy’ being seen with ‘commoners’ in town. They were quickly covered up, by no doubt from the efforts of the Capital and the Report, but the fact only spurred everyone to believe they were true.

To no fault of the prince, Edward could easily believe the claims. Regardless of how the tradition of the Selection forced the heir to only marry through a ridiculous televised competition, he couldn’t blame anyone for wanting to explore having relationships outside of it. In fact, it was the only time Edward could remember not completely despising the prince before getting to actually know him, because the idea of someone with such a responsibility accidentally falling in love with someone they could never be with was… kinda sad. Surprisingly, bringing the allegations up only proved to get Roy to look embarrassed, and the expression made Edward briefly wonder if the prince had never found anyone he was satisfied with, then. Even weirder was how the notion made him feel a little relieved. 

“Why yes, I- ahem, had my escapades… when I was younger.” Roy admitted, holding the back of his neck. He thought for a moment before shaking off any obvious embarrassment he had, continuing with an unsure smile.

“Although, I have to admit. I’m a bit surprised that someone as yourself hasn’t…” He gestured vaguely in Edward’s direction, causing the blond to scowl. What was he implying? That he should’ve been experienced by now? That he looked like the type of person to have dated around? Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face though, because the prince right away became alarmed. 

“Oh, I meant nothing negative by it!” He amended, waving his hands in a dramatic show of surrender. The instant reassurance slightly mollified the blond, and his shoulders loosened from tension he hadn’t even realized was building.

“Oh really?” Edward half-heartedly groused, evidently caught in his assuming. Roy leaned forward and nodded, smiling charmingly despite the concern that clearly remained by the slight furrow of his brow. There was another gust of wind, and Edward could only freeze as the prince reached out his arm and gently brushed back the blond’s bang, forcing him to look at his face. 

“I only meant that you’re a very desirable bachelor, Edward.” 

Oh. Well fuck. 

The course of different emotions that rushed through the blond from the statement was overwhelming, and -for fuck’s sake- it did _not_ help that Roy kept his hand there, cupping his face. At first, Edward was instantly feeling sheepish for being such a pessimist. He had right away assumed the worst and hadn’t even considered the idea that it was genuine astonishment that he never dated anyone rather than an insult. But then the prince’s words fully processed and _that_ had Edward wanting to throw himself in the water. 

“I-” He immediately stammered, his face going scarlet.

Shit. 

How could Roy so casually say something like that? It was as if he immediately turned the tables, going from distantly vulnerable to easily dominating and in control in just an instant. No, even before that, the prince had become the one to start leading the conversation, and Edward hadn’t even realized it was happening. Even worse, the blond instigated it with his _own_ question on whether or not their outing was a date. He might fake it sometimes, but there was no doubt that the prince was actually a cocky bastard.

Edward’s eyes slightly widened as the realization dawned on him. No, more than a cocky bastard- Roy was fucking _calculating_. 

Suddenly the image of him being a circling bird turned more predatory. 

Edward fought the urge to yank the hand away, and instead grabbed the prince’s wrist, carefully putting his arm down and leaning back from the touch; his cheek felt like it was on fire. He wanted to be angry, honestly, for being put in such a position, and he wanted to make a jabbing remark on how not everyone had the privilege to waste time being a playboy, but- 

Just as Roy’s confidence and charm was real, so was his vulnerability, at least, for the brief moment that it was there. He was only putting things in his favor because he had felt at a disadvantage, and that was something the blond could scarcely blame him for. Not to mention the fact that behind the embarrassment, the statement was kinda… sweet, actually. At least to Edward’s ears, and from feeling undesirable his entire life, hearing such a thing from someone as high standing as the prince of Amestris was touching, almost. Too bad the blond wouldn’t even come close to genuinely believing it. After all, Roy was clearly only trying to flatter him. 

Why did he have to be so goddamn good at it, though?

Edward forced a meek laugh, doing his best to not sound as frazzled as he felt as he let go of the prince’s arm once it was back on his own lap, far away from the blond's face. It was practically too late now to even bother, as his blush wasn’t exactly going away, but he tried to compose himself anyway. “How is it,” He began, shooting Roy an incredulous look, “That we went from me trying to comfort you about friends, to _you_ trying to comfort _me_ about dates?” 

Ha, ‘comfort’ was one way of putting it. 

“What can I say?” The prince beamed. He was clearly unaffected by Edward moving his hand away, and if anything, he still looked fairly smug. What a bastard. “I suppose that, when it comes to being inexperienced in certain types of relationships, we’re both in the same boat.” He shrugged. 

Edward stared at him for a moment, mouth agape. “Did you just fucking actually- Was that a _pun_ , Mustang?”

Roy’s grin got impossibly wider, throwing the blond off with how suddenly he looked like a child with such a bright expression, and the prince just laughed; full and vivid, like no one was watching.

“My apologies. How _boat_ I stop?” He managed between laughs.

“You’re unbelievable.” Edward admonished, beginning to laugh himself anyway. It was so out of left field that the blond couldn’t help it, and there was something so ironic about the prince being the one to drop a pun rather than Edward himself, that the blond was almost beside himself in disbelief and awe. And to think, for a second he had thought he finally figured out Roy. Damn. 

He clearly knew nothing. 

“I honestly didn’t intend for my idiom to end up being quite literal when I first said it, however.” The prince admitted, still grinning. He leaned down and began to pull out the oars of the boat; one paddle had a chip in it, but otherwise they looked to be in decent condition. “Though since we’re on the subject, why don’t we actually leave the dock now?” He offered smoothly.

By that point, their small boat had managed to drift away enough to make the idea of trying to jump back onto land a huge risk, but the ‘dock’ was more of an eroded path rather than any protruding wooden deck, so Edward hadn’t even noticed how close they still were to shore. Roy handed him one oar and the blond helped him set them on the rowlocks, a ‘sure’ about to escape his lips before he remembered something and suddenly grabbed the prince’s wrist instead.

“Wait. Before you strand me indefinitely,” Edward stopped him from taking the handles of the paddles. “You never answered my question.”

_This isn’t a date, right?_

Roy paused, looking thoughtful, before breaking into an easy smile. “Would saying ‘yes’ _actually_ make you get off this boat?” 

Edward only had to slightly raise his eyebrows before the prince clearly got the message that the blond was not messing around, and only beamed. “Edward, if you feel at all uncomfortable with the idea and don’t want it to be, then no. This isn’t a date.”

“Thank god.” He dramatically lamented, making Roy chuckle. The prince took a hold of the oars and barely put any effort into a relaxed stroke that propelled them into an easy pace.

“Is the idea that revolting?” He jested, managing to keep the casual conversation without messing up the flow of the boat ride. 

“Yes.” Edward quipped, shooting Roy a grin before going back to watching over his shoulder towards the direction they were going. There was such an expanse of water that remained under the pergola that it was honestly astonishing. It looked more like a lake than a moat from where they were. 

“You did promise that you’d remain a candidate in the Selection.” Roy pointed out. Without even looking Edward knew the prince was arching an eyebrow.

“Yeah, so?”

“So,” He enunciated, doing a final stroke and letting the boat stop on its own, “That means that I have the privilege to take you on an actual date eventually, correct?”

Edward looked back at him, seeing as they were no longer moving, and shot him an exasperated look. Roy seemed to have left them right in the center of the mass of water, and, sure it was pretty and all, but even so the blond couldn’t help the slight twinge of becoming hyper aware of how isolated they were. 

“So,” He mimicked, “Yeah, no way.”

“I’d reason that your rejection is a tad unfair.” 

“What are you going to do about it?” Edward challenged, unable to help but wanna mess with him. Roy feigned looking shocked, clearly having fun as well, and looked around them suggestively.

“Well, I'll keep you here until you say yes, I suppose.”

“I can swim, you know.”

The prince sighed. “Ah, I was afraid so.”

“Yeah, it’s a real fucking shame for you.”

Roy laughed and nodded anyway, clasping his hands on his lap and leaning forward.

“So,” He repeated. “Pray tell... what is it that we do then, _friend_?”

Edward copied his movement and leaned forward himself, getting their faces mere inches apart.

“We do…” He began, trying to look serious. Roy’s previously smug expression immediately shifted into actually looking kinda excited and overly curious, and the face had the blond unable to help but almost laugh. He playfully flicked the prince’s forehead and leaned back again. “Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“We don’t have to do anything.” He shrugged, letting himself slouch a bit. “Sometimes friends can just enjoy each other's company, and don’t have to talk. Or they could talk about their day, and other minuscule things that’s just nice to have somebody listen to and stuff. Or…” Edward trailed off, having to think. 

The truth was, when the blond tried thinking of a genuine deep friendship that fit the scenarios he was describing, he could only think of one person; Alphonse. Sure he was able to make good with those he had to, and even share some laughs and comforts with them -such as a few fellow Fives from home- but none of them were ever his best friend like his brother was. Even now, with the Selected, none of those relationships felt like they could be broached past anything more than ‘friendly competition’. Edward suddenly felt like he had no idea what he was doing asking the prince to be his friend, because now he was doubting if he was even capable of getting that sincere with anyone other than Alphonse. Edward frowned. How was it that he was barely realizing this?

It should’ve been obvious since before how bad he was trying to overcompensate for it, as he tried mentioning ‘friends’ every chance he got. It was as if, if he said it enough times, it’d become true. However now it was dreadfully clear; even _that_ could never happen. Edward didn’t want anyone other than his brother to be his real friend, but he didn’t want to be going on embarrassing dates either. It was with shame that the blond realized he had just been using the term as a shield for himself this entire time, because one thing he should’ve known about himself from the start was that, no matter how many times he’d preach about friendship, he could never hold up his own end of the bargain. But...

Roy deserved something real.

“Or…?” The prince asked, looking so genuinely invested in learning that it made Edward’s chest ache. He didn’t think he could do it. Not truly, not completely. 

He really hated himself sometimes. 

“Or, you know,” The blond tried to laugh, but it felt more like a heavy breath, and he desperately tried to think of something based off his and Alphonse’s relationship. “Friends do a lot of stupid shit together, if I’m being honest.”

Roy was watching him carefully now, obviously not missing the subtle change of demeanor, but he seemed to believe the answer Edward gave as being the cause for hesitating earlier. He easily chuckled. “Is that so? Could you give me an example?” 

“Oh, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“Afraid I’ll try it?” 

“Afraid you’ll fucking go too far and break a limb.”

Roy crossed his arms, dark eyes sparkling with mirth. “Is that a challenge?”

Edward openly considered him for a moment, tapping his chin for extra effect, and was gratefully using this moment to try to forget about his disheartening epiphany that was only a few seconds prior. At the very least, Edward knew how to give him this. Doing stupid shit was his specialty. 

“You’ll probably find it all too ‘undignified’ for a prince though, am I right?”

“I could…” Roy started, only to pause to think about it, “Make exceptions, perhaps.”

“Okay,” Edward allowed, “Have you ever… set a stove on fire?” 

“On purpose or by accident?”

“Doesn’t matter.” The blond grinned. Roy made a noise like he was trying not to laugh.

“No, I haven’t.”

“How about sneak into a train graveyard in the middle of the night?”

Now the prince was looking at him incredulously. “No?”

“Pull an elaborate prank on the entire town by releasing all of the sheep into the town square?”

He shook his head.

“Done anything stupid or illegal?” Edward tried. The prince scoffed in disbelief. “Is this actually what friends do?” The look on his face made the blond lightly laugh.

“Not always, no.” He conceded, shrugging, “Maybe just the important ones you make as a child, because you’re always teasing one another to do the craziest stuff to prove you’re not chicken, but I guess that kinda does stop once you get older…” Edward admitted. Now that he thought about it, he really missed doing stupid shit with Al; neither of them had the time for it anymore.

“But I personally think it’s a great thing to have. At least once in your life, you know?”

“Are we perhaps too old for that kind of thing then?” Roy asked.

“Nahhh. There’s no age limit to being stupid. We just have to start you off easy.”

The prince looked a mix of perpetually amused and growingly concerned at the same time. “So what is it that you suppose we do? There’s not much while we're in the confines in a boat, I would think.”

Edward perked up at that, the statement giving him an idea. “You’re right… there’s not much we can do in a boat.” He pointedly looked at the water and blinked, then looked back up at the prince all while raising his eyebrows suggestively. Roy’s lips twitched.

“Are you implying that we should jump in the moat?”

“Are you implying that you’re a coward?”

Roy half-laughed despite his growing scowl, “I was already grounded once before as a child, I-”

“Exactly! So don’t you wanna know what it feels like to do it again and this time _not_ get caught?”

At that the prince actually paused for a moment, his brows furrowing as if he was actually considering the thought. “That's a ridiculous idea, Edward.” He ended up settling on, shaking his head. Edward huffed and made a big show of looking uninterested.

“Fine. You’re too old, I get it.” 

“Pardon?”

“Too old.” Edward repeated, enunciating and drawing out each syllable. The prince’s face pinched as if he was trying -and failing- to hold back a grimace.  
“Please don’t say that.” He groaned, as if the idea greatly pained him. Edward only grinned, his eyes undoubtedly shining with mischief. 

“No, no. I understand. You gotta protect those old bones of yours. I wouldn’t want you breaking your back on me or irritating your arthritis.”

“I’ll have you know that I’m in great shape and that I’m only twenty-” He suddenly stopped, “Oh, I see what you’re doing.”

“Hm?”

“You’re trying to rile me up.” Roy realized. “Did you actually think that acting like some goading _school boy_ would convince me to follow your idiotic idea?” 

The clear indication in his tone had the question sounding much more like an insult, a detail that Edward didn’t miss. He scowled.

“At least my ‘idiotic idea’ involves having some fucking fun and not just sitting in a boat doing jack shit. What do you want me to do? Discuss the fucking weather or something equally as pointless?”  
“First of all, there are a lot of things we can discuss-”  
“Old man!” Edward accused, having enough. He was only kidding before, but damn, genuine irritation had him wanting to retaliate harsher than he initially meant to. Roy looked very much the same, the blond’s claim having him practically sputtering as if he had never been so affronted in his life.

“I am not getting off this boat, Edward.” He gritted out, expression haughty, “I do not need to prove anything, especially to the likes of you-”

Edward’s veins suddenly felt on fire. “The likes of you?! What am I the likes of, Mustang? Huh? Am I ‘the likes of’ sewer rats? Peasants? _Fives_?”

Roy’s face suddenly fell, all the anger draining from him immediately as he deflated. “That’s not what I meant-”

“Whatever.” Edward cut him off, practically snarling. “Well I’m not staying here. I’ll jump in the fucking moat myself.” He aggressively began to undo the buttons of his blasted vest -he had hated the thing anyway- which appeared to be more yanking than undoing, and flung it at Roy’s face. The prince caught it in his hands, looking so floored that the disbelief and shock on his face bordered on hysteric.

“Edward,” He suddenly pleaded, watching in horror as the blond proceeded to take off his shoes, “I- I didn’t mean to upset you, I-” 

Edward ignored him, gripping the sides of the boat to properly balance himself so he could stand up. Roy’s hands shot up to his arms, stopping him. “Listen to me.” He urged. 

“Let go of me, bastard.” He snapped, starting to lean over the side. Mustang suddenly let go as if the words actually cut him, before grabbing him again, shoulders this time, and pulling him back down to the middle. The boat swung with the wild fit of imbalance.

“Edward, I’m sorry. You don’t have to jump in the water, just-” He hissed as Edward tried swatting him away, resulting in them both stumbling on their sides with the boat. “Just hear me out. I’ll drive you back, I swear, can you please-”

Edward tried to make a sideways dive in his desperation, but the prince caught him firmly by the collar of his shirt. The action had them rocking back to hit their sides against the boat, the edge of wood painfully jabbing right below their ribs. 

“Stop fighting me!” Roy exasperated. He put himself in front of Edward in an attempt to keep him from trying to jump. It was a feat considering how un-wide the vessel was.

“You stop fucking-!” Edward was cut off as the boat violently swayed to the left, throwing them both off again. Water sprayed as they dipped so low that his ponytail and elbow swiped the surface, and his back hit the wood _hard_. 

“Fuck-!”

The blond growled and he shoved Mustang off of him with all the force he could muster- 

Right at the same moment the boat swung the opposite way. 

Water shot up in a big splash, completely blinding Edward in the process. He fell back again as the recoil threw him, his eyes shooting open as he prepared to retaliate against the prince because that fucking _hurt_ and- Edward stopped.

Roy was gone.

The blond sat there, panting for breath and disheveled, and he blinked. What the fuck just happened? He rushed to look over the edge, the vessel already not dipping nearly as low anymore, and looked at the rippling water in shock. Holy shit.

He pushed the prince into the moat.

“Mustang?” He called, trying to peer closer without tipping the whole boat over.

The water only silently rippled in return, the prince nowhere to be seen. Edward’s eyes widened, and he began to feel sick more than just because of the vigorous boat-swaying. He was so fucked. 

It all had happened so fast that he hadn’t even realized how quickly their banter had escalated into something more akin to an actual argument. Anger had overwhelmed him so rapidly that the blond didn’t even notice how determined he genuinely became to leave the dumb boat _and_ the dumb bastard. But now, Roy was gone, and so far he wasn’t coming back up. 

_Shit, shit, shit._

Oh he was so going to jail this time. Edward pivoted to look over the other side, keeping a sharp eye out for any movement and growing more concerned by the second as he saw none. Roy could swim, right? The blond bit his lip, unsure if he should jump in for him right away. He leaned over further now that the boat wasn’t swaying as violently anymore and he strained to peer through the dark water.

“Mustang?! Where the hell-?” 

Hands shot up from the water and grabbed his shirt collar, immediately yanking him down.

“Gah-!” Edward yelped, falling over into the moat head-first.

Water rushed over him, cold and chilling with the sudden contact. Edward flailed his arms as he tried to grip for purchase and found none, his nose and eyes burning, and gasped when his head finally emerged. 

“What the fuck!” He wiped his face, his vision coming back, only to be greeted by Roy swimming in front of him- and he was laughing his face off. Out of breath, water droplets stringing his dark hair, his shoulders a rumple of skin-clung shirt, but laughing at him brightly all the same.

“You should’ve,” The prince tried, pausing as he laughed again, “seen your face!”

Edward rapidly blinked, not believing what he was seeing. ” _You_ pulled me in?”

“ _You_ pushed me in.” Roy retorted, only to start laughing again at the blond’s reaction. Edward shot him a glare. “You. Pulled. Me. In?!”

Roy suddenly stopped, his smile falling instantly. “Are you still upset-?”

“You fucking bastard!” Edward seethed, lunging at him. Roy shouted something, but the blond couldn’t hear it as it was cut off and muffled by water, his attack forceful enough on the prince’s shoulders that it sunk him entirely for a second. He immediately bounced back up, gasping for air. “Are you trying to drown me?!” He admonished. The reprimand had very little effect though, because coming straight up from the water had his hair sticking flat down and covering his eyes like shaggy emo-bangs. Roy looked like an Old English Sheepdog! 

Edward couldn’t help it. 

He started to laugh. It probably sounded loud and obnoxious, but he didn’t care. Roy swam there for a moment, not even bothering to brush the hair back, and went completely silent at the outburst. 

“I look ridiculous, don’t I?” The prince realized, sounding completely flat. 

“Utterly ridiculous.” Edward snickered.

Carefully, as if hesitating, Roy reached up to brush back his bangs, peaking through them like curtains. “Does this mean that you’re not upset anymore?”

Edward’s grin fell, a scowl replacing it as he considered that. To be honest, he now felt bad about the whole thing and for overreacting, but he didn’t want to let Roy know that. “No.” He puffed, turning away and holding his head up. "I wasn't upset at all."

Roy just chuckled, seeing right through it, and somehow managed to saunter as he swam closer. “Aw, do you feel bad?” He teased. 

Edward looked over his shoulder and scoffed. “No fucking way. You deserved it.”

“Is that so?” He challenged, looking rather skeptical. Shitty perceptive bastard. He tried swimming around the blond to see his face, but Edward avoided it and gave him his back instead. That turned out to be a mistake though, because the prince just pounced on it, nearly strangling the blond as he wrapped his arms around his neck and nearly sunk them both with the weight. 

“The fuck-”  
“Edward, please don’t be mad at me!” Roy beseeched. Edward began to thrash his arms, now essentially keeping both of them afloat, but the prince ignored it gracefully and stubbornly held on. 

“How is it that you’re simultaneously the oldest geezer I know, yet you can still act like an incompetent child?!” Edward shot back, upset that Roy wasn’t letting go.

“I’m changing my strategy with you.” He easily explained, sounding all proper and mature and triumphant as fuck again. The blond could now swear that the man had some eerie ability to switch his personality around like it was nothing when it came to him wanting something. Manipulative bastard. 

“Well it’s not gonna-” He hissed as he accidentally breathed in water from almost sinking again, “Could you stop using me as your float and let go now? You’re fucking heavy-” 

He felt Roy shake his head, the prince’s wet strands of hair splattering Edward’s cheek with cold water, and he dramatically huffed.  
“I will once you promise me something in return.”

“I’m not actually mad anymore, if that’s what you want.”

“No, there’s something else.”

The blond grimaced and tensed, which hurt like hell for his tiring arms. “And what’s that?” He gulped, hoping he didn’t just ruin his life. 

“I want my bastard percent lowered.”

“And why should I do that?” Edward demanded, his eyebrows furrowing.

“You should,” Roy pressed, “Because I followed your idiotic idea to jump into the water. This is a big deal, you should know. A prince such as I here, now, swimming in a moat.”

The blond didn’t bother trying to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He was being all dramatic on purpose. But, despite having to vigorously wave his arms to keep them above the surface and despite the weight on his back, Edward’s shoulders sagged significantly. “You said I was the one who pushed you in though.” He grumbled. 

“Oh, don’t be petty.” Roy grinned , “I believe it should count nonetheless.”

“Fine.” The blond groaned, not wanting to admit that the prince kinda had a fair point. He should’ve been to jail a long time ago, honestly. “Seventy.”

Roy frowned. “Sixty percent.”

“Seventy-one.” Edward growled.

“Sixty-five percent.”

“Seventy-two.”

The prince sighed, and for a moment the blond thought he was gonna give up, but then he was completely startled as he was suddenly pushed down and completely submerged. 

“You bastard!” He cursed when he came up again, unabashedly spitting water out of his mouth.

“Sixty-five percent bastard.” Roy corrected, sounding smug. Edward considered letting them both drown for a moment; It was tempting.

“Ugh, fine. Okay, okay, now le’go of me.”

“Of course.” He brightly complied, swimming back enough only to no longer be dangling from the blond. 

Bastard should’ve swam _far away_. 

Edward pivoted, keen to immediately get his revenge, and slammed his palms on the water hard. “This isn’t-” He splashed Roy with each syllable. “how friends-” The prince was trying to protect his face with his arm, but it was no use. Edward was _unrelenting_. “are supposed to do this!”

“Ack-!”

He paused in his attack, out of breath and heaving, along with his enthusiasm suddenly damper with the accidental slip. He shouldn’t be preaching about being real friends anymore, because it’d be a lie. 

Roy didn’t seem to notice the torn expression on the blond, gasping and wiping his face to recover from all the water thrown at him. “Worth it.” He breathed, somehow managing to beam when he looked at Edward.

It just made the blond feel worse.

He sighed. “Really? Just for the bastard level?” 

“More than that.” Roy immediately countered, frowning. It was scarcely a second before his lips were quirking up again though. “Your ribbon, um, is falling off.” He pointed out.

Edward blinked, looking over his shoulder and scowling at the mess of hair behind him. Mei had insisted on wearing a stupid satin ribbon as opposed to a normal rubber band, and clearly the dumb material was far from being water proof. 

“I hate my maids.” He swore, ignoring the way the prince chuckled as he yanked the slip off. His hair was already coming out of his ponytail, but the action had the rest of it immediately falling down and fanning out behind him in long, flow-y strands. Edward was set to pull it up again right away, but then irritably realized it was impossible. Long wet hair was fucking heavy, and using two arms to do something other than swim would mean drowning. Not that he wasn’t considering drowning as a viable option now, though.

“I quite like your maids.” The prince commented, unashamedly now looking at Edward way too appreciatively. 

Yes, he wanted to drown now. 

“Oh shat up.” He groused, halfheartedly splashing Roy with water again and refusing to look at him. That was another grave mistake made for the second time in a row, however, because the prince actually _retaliated_ this time. A giant splash that Edward didn’t even see coming smacked him square in the face, and he sputtered inelegantly for a good minute before processing the fact that Roy was laughing at him again. 

“Why you-” Edward splashed him back, with much more vigor this time, and was unable to help his grin of glee when the prince was thrown off so badly that he almost sank.

“You’re insane.” He gasped, albeit mirroring the blond’s same delighted expression.

“At least I’m not some old, bastard-!” 

“Ha! Missed me!”

Edward stopped, looking at Roy incredulously. “Did you really just,” He splashed again, and, sure enough, the prince backed up and dodged most of the impact. The blond felt an uncontrollable competitive urge abruptly spike his blood, and he quickly swam forward to try to hit him again.  
“Stop swimming away, coward!” 

The prince just easily pedaled in reverse, this time even leaning all the way to float on his back, his torso and legs coming up to the surface as he lazily let himself drift with the current.

“You can’t splash me from over there.” He stated offhandedly. Edward watched in disbelief as Roy proceeded to shoot him a cocky smirk.  
“Oh really?”

“Why, yes really.” The prince replied, closing his eyes. The blond used it to his advantage and easily swam across the distance and was right next to Roy by the time he opened his eyes again. He looked genuinely caught off guard with Edward suddenly above him so quickly, but meekly smiled anyway.

“You _wouldn’t_ splash me.” He amended, now trying to act all charming. Edward just gave him a deadpanned look. 

“You’re right.” He said, putting his hand, no, not even that- the pads of his fingers, weightlessly on Roy’s chest. “I wouldn’t _splash_ you.” Edward grinned sharply and even did that innocent-cute-nose-scrunch thing that he learned from Alphonse, which had Roy looking perplexed and beginning to laugh awkwardly. He was clearly torn between being flustered from the blond’s contact and expression and between being rightfully very, very concerned for his life.

“I don’t know if I should be aroused or very afraid.” Roy admitted. Edward completely flushed at that, caught off guard, but quickly managed to cover it up with a genuine scowl. 

“Afraid, Mustang.” He snapped, and without any warning he pressed down mercilessly on his chest, completely submerging the prince. His limbs flailed for a moment, but then he righted himself and came back up, sputtering water. “I’ve realized that I’ve made a mistake.” Roy reflected after a moment, panting.

Edward smiled and nodded appraisingly, which for someone reason had the prince looking alarmed and turning the other way. 

“Oh, so _now_ you decide to swim away?” Edward scoffed, raising an eyebrow. Roy looked over his shoulder and chuckled, though it sounded too rushed and forced to be completely concern-free. “I am very afraid.” He said in explanation, heading towards the boat. The blond couldn’t help but laugh victoriously at that.

They had somehow managed to get a good distance away from the vessel, though Edward figured it was more due to the moat’s current making it drift away rather than because of them getting, er- caught up in their splashing.

“Good.” He grinned. It partially fell as the prince reached the boat. “What are you expecting to do?” Edward bemused, following him.

“What is it that you mean by that?”

The blond easily caught up to Roy and watched, unsurprised, as the prince grabbed the edge of the boat, like he was planning to pull himself back in, only for him to frown as the boat instead nearly tipped over at the weight. 

“That.” Edward said. “That’s what I meant. You won’t be able to get back in from the water without capsizing it.”

He clicked his tongue. “Ah, I should’ve realized that.”

The blond tried to stifle his laugh. “You really should’ve.”

“Are you laughing at me?”

“You started it.”

“I suppose so.” Roy relented, smiling back anyway. “What if you try holding the other side for me?”

“I could get back on and help you up?” Edward countered.

“You know how?”

“There’s a trick to it.” He grinned. 

Roy considered him for a moment before sighing, though it sounded helplessly fond. The blond didn’t know how he felt about that.

“Please proceed, then.” He nodded.

Edward nodded back and made his way to the middle of the rowboat’s side, experimentally tugging on the edge. All he had to do was quickly heave himself up, and before it could tip over, reach his arms forward to balance it, and then stay on his stomach to crawl inside. Easy.

He felt Roy’s eyes glued to his back as he began to heft himself up, his hair plastering all the way down the length of his spine as soon as it left the water. Before the vessel could roll over, he stretched across far enough to reach the other side’s edge, and holding it proved to make the boat sway the opposite way as before.

“There.” He gasped, crawling the rest of the way in. It had been offset very roughly from the intrusion, so he waited a moment before he risked sitting up. It was surprisingly easy to fall off a boat again from sitting up too fast; it was a rookie mistake. “Okay, your turn.” He poked his head up and offered his hand to the prince.

Roy let out a low whistle. “Impressive.”

Edward good-naturedly rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and give me your hand.”

The prince did, securing his other hand on the boat. “Okay Mustang, I’ll lean backwards while you pull yourself up. Ready?”

“Yes.”

“One, two, three-” Edward groaned, the sudden weight impossibly heavy. It turns out that pulling himself up an entire foot from the water was extremely physically taxing and that it practically took all of his strength after swimming for so long. His arms suddenly felt like they were on fire as he strained to balance Roy’s weight, and it was barely a second in before the boat dangerously dipped. Edward yelped as his arms suddenly gave out and as Roy -accidentally- pulled him right back in.

The splash was even colder than the first time, the water chilling after only a minute from drying out of it. Edward came back up quicker this time and tried to look around, his vision trying to adjust feverishly. 

It was dark. 

A vague shape and dark silhouette could be made out not far in front of him, and after a moment of the figure gasping for air, Edward realized it was Roy.

“My apologies.” He breathed, still managing to sound really sheepish. 

“Don’t apologize,” The blond immediately dismissed, “It was my bad. I was supposed to lean back and be strong enough to pull you up, not let you pull me in. Don’t worry about it. I, um- got really tired out of nowhere. Sorry.” He tried to laugh, but it only lasted one breath like a sigh. 

“Oh no. Your vest.” Roy suddenly grieved. Edward shot him a perplexed look. He could see him better now, and could make out the way that he was grabbing the floating piece a fabric to his chest. 

“Oh, I capsized the boat.” Edward realized. He looked up, and sure enough, it was wood. So _that’s_ why it was so dark. 

“Your vest is ruined.” He continued, sounding wounded.

“I could care less about that blasted thing. I hated it.”

“You looked so exquisite in it…” He mumbled, so quiet that the blond could’ve believed that it was only his imagination.

“Mustang, put the trash down and help me lift this damn boat off our heads-” He stopped. As his vision finally adjusted, the beauty of the water became astonishing. Light somehow managed to make its way inside their capsized pocket through refraction and by bending at impossible angles, and the result was the water appearing to _glow_. They would’ve been in pitch black otherwise, but they weren’t. It was more than a scientific feat, it was pure beauty. 

“Mustang, look.” He said, staring at the shimmering surface. Sunlight refracting through differently each time made an illusion of spotlights, as certain areas shone brighter than others for a brief moment before being replaced in another rippling set. 

“Oh,” Roy breathed, finally forgetting the stupid vest. 

Edward continued staring, awestruck, and then looked above him again, his breath hitching. He couldn’t believe he didn’t notice it before, but the reflection of the water on the wood was just as amazing. 

“Look at this caustic network...” He said, softly as if it’d break the mesmerizing spell. “The rays of light coming from outside this boat are reflected by the water, and it forms an envelope of rays on this wooden surface. It’s like being able to see the tangible lines of sunlight. It maps it all out for us...” Edward carefully reached out, trailing his fingers against the rippling patches of faint, wavy light. “It’s always moving and shifting, but it’s the same because they never intersect. They’re tangent lines, somehow, and there’s actually fucking math that can calculate every inch of every second of this stuff. But even knowing that, we can only _attempt_ to simulate this...” He sighed deeply, so far gone that he felt like he could stay there forever. “Mustang,” He said gently after a moment, “this is the same shit that makes _rainbows_ . What we’re looking at right here, right now. It can make fucking _colors_. The only difference is that it’s caustic from rain instead of a body of water... Isn’t that amazing?” 

Edward finally looked back at him from the pretty boat-ceiling, a serene smile still on his lips for the first time since leaving home. Roy looked equally as awe-struck and as mesmerized, but instead he-

He was looking at him. 

“Mustang?” The blond carefully tried after the prince didn’t respond.  
“Oh, my apologies.” He finally said. He blinked as if he was coming out of a stupor and lightly shook his head, smiling fondly. “Yes. It’s the most gorgeous and beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Something in his tone made Edward feel like they weren’t talking about the same things.

“Um,” He began, unsure of how he should be feeling. On one hand, he spouted his embarrassing awe for science and nature, and was completely enamored to the point of dysfunction, but Roy- actually, no. Edward couldn’t even begin to wrap his head around what was going on with _him_. He opened his mouth to finish his sentence, only to immediately close it again as he felt the bridge of his nose abruptly sting. He scrunched it, scowling this time, in an attempt to make it go away, but a sudden heave in his chest alerted him that it was completely inevitable. He faced away quickly and sneezed.

“Edward," Roy said, sounding abruptly concerned, "are you cold?”

“Wha-?” He had to stop to turn away, sneezing again. “No, I’m not cold. I’m perfectly fine- ah!” This time it was three in succession. The more Edward sneezed, the more the worry on Roy’s face grew. 

“I’d love to stay here forever, especially with you, but I’m afraid it’d be best for us to get out of the water now and get dry.”

Edward snorted. “Regardless of you being here, _I’d_ like to stay in here forever.” He was about to sneeze again, but this time stopped it by force of willpower alone, wanting to prove his devotion. Yet, he was only victorious for a moment, as another came and he sneezed for the sixth time. “Ugh.” His shoulders sagged tiredly. A part of him actually didn’t want to leave yet, but unfortunately his body had been protesting since a long time ago to stop swimming, and he knew better than to risk trying to keep it up. Not to mention that, despite the roller coaster of the day, things were finally enjoyable and -knowing how rare those moments were- Edward didn’t want to walk (or swim) away from it deliberately. He sighed, because he knew he had to anyway. 

“Fine. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chapter:  
> *constant drowning*
> 
> Oof xD Jk they're just melodramatic babies, neither of them were under water for more than 1.901456 seconds lmao  
> Also, I feel like only certain people can pull off that nose-scrunch thing that makes them look like the hottest thing to ever walk the earth, and it's my new head-cannon that Edward is DEFINITELY one of those people (he just doesn't know it). Also I think it'd be hella funny if Roy could pull off all these things -like smirking, sauntering, confident play boy things etc.- but can't pull off the nose-scrunch xD Poor guy lol
> 
> Ah, this chapter was such a pivotal moment for both characters on how they feel about the other, and dang Ed is completely oblivious to what that was with Roy, smh xD Also the golden idiot be taking steps backwards *sighhhh*  
> On the bright side! Their "totally-not-a-dateTM" isn't completely over yet (though this is for sure the main juice of it) and there's still a lot they gotta tell each other because dang their conversation went like *flails hands about chaotically* like that. xD Please stay tuned! I hope you're all safe and happy! <3  
> Thank you for reading!


	10. (Art Intermission)

Hi guys! So I know this is a little late considering my goal of 1 chapter per week, but I have a surprise!

So this started 3 days ago, when I came home from a week of camping, and I right away went onto work on chapter 10, but writer's block was suddenly kicking my butt. I tried to work through it like normal, but this time it wasn't letting up. My writer side of my brain was dead lol, and for some reason the drawing side was roaring with life. Keep in mind that, despite loving to draw, I haven't really in about 3 months, so I figured I should at least indulge in it since I was feeling up to it for once. But then, I started to have so much fun, the most fun I've had from just drawing in a long time, so I started to draw sketches for this Selection fanfic! I figured it was a good compromise in fulfilling the urge -and more productive than waiting out writer's block- and getting content to you guys! ^^ I hope this is okay!

Quick disclaimer before we begin, I just want to make it clear that these are only my sketches of what I've imagined in my head. If you imagined any character or anything different while reading, you're more than free to keep that interpretation! This was just me having a good time and wanting to share it, that's all. Nothing serious! Also, like I've said, these are only little sketches, so they're not all fancy either. Additionally, I'm including little context paragraphs for each, some which may contain new information or background on this fanfic. If you're totally not about this, that's okay! Regular written chapters will continue as normal. ^^ With that in mind, I hope you guys enjoy this 'Art Intermission' chapter!

1\. Selection Application

As you know, Alphonse secretly signed Edward up for the Selection. The photo he submitted was one of Edward actually smiling, because he had been looking at their mother as he was helping her make some bread. With his expert photography skills, Al captured the moment, and with his crafty determination, he made sure to properly crop out the dirty counter and Trisha before submitting it. Thus making it appear like Edward isn't cooking at all and instead only looking pleasant. Obviously applying with a decent photo greatly influenced Edward getting chosen for the competition, which he is definitely not very happy about. Alphonse is still probably laughing manically at his success from home at this very moment. Poor Ed.

_(Note: my headcannon is that Edward has super faint freckles. You could see them close up when the sun's on his face UvU)_

2\. Maids

Edward still doesn't know how he exactly feels about his maids. Sometimes he thinks they're angels in this Selection hell, and other times they're the ones making everything worse (in his opinion at least). Claudia is the most reserved, but when he least expects it she's the most devious- such as her lily bath stunt. Jasmine is considerate, but is definitely not beneath scheming with their head maid and she might possibly be around half the brains to their operations. Mei should be the most professional, and the first day she was, but the girl must've easily seen through Ed as the type of person she could be herself around. For better or worse, that is. Together, the three seem pretty close, but sometimes Edward will catch them talking between themselves and stopping when he's nearby. He assumes it's petty gossip, but that does little to quail his curiosity. One time Jasmine offhandedly complained about having to cut her hair because it was getting too long again, and from her conversation with Mei, Edward's figured out that they have a dress code for their hair. All maids are required to wear their hair at least partially up, and if not completely up, it cannot exceed the length passed their shoulders. It's strange though, because Claudia not only wears her hair down, but has it extremely long. He figured he just misunderstood, but the instances when Mei would berate Jasmine for leaving her hair messy and putting it back partially up for her -while not saying anything to Claudia- has Edward thinking otherwise. He clearly has a long way to go before knowing the trio better.

_From left to right: Claudia, Mei, Jasmine_

3\. Female Wardrobe

The Selection, of course, has a dress code as well. Although obviously not as strict as the maids', most female Selected are required to wear either dresses, skirts, blouses, and dress shirts. Many of them, with hopes of seducing the prince, wear only dresses. Despite being quite eccentric in her nature, Winry also falls under this category. She's usually seen wearing casual spring dresses, sometimes with straps or quarter-sleeves, but mostly because she finds them cute and she's secretly really girly rather than for Mustang's sake. A few Selected, like Lust, on the other hand, are always doing their best to look irresistible. Unfortunately for her, dress code leaves many dresses flow-y and shortest right above the knee. This is clearly not good enough for her, so in her spare time she's constantly going through her available dresses and 'fixing' them. She'll bully her maids into hemming the skirt shorter, to sew it tighter, and she could always be seen 'subtly' pulling up her dress when she sits and pulling down her shirt to show cleavage. Somehow, she gets away with it. There are also a few of the Selected, that are going the opposite direction, such as Riza. Most days she'll wear nice slacks with a dress shirt, but a few days she could be seen wearing a blouse instead. Although she always remains looking rather professional regardless. 

_From left to right, notes say: Riza "Mostly wears slacks with blouse of course." Lust "She's never in dress code, smh." (down) Winry "Most Selected (female) wear casual dresses like this."_

4\. Male Wardrobe

Unlike the females, males in the Selection have much fewer choices, making dressing easier for many. Selected like Jean, take in joy in waking up and only having to throw on a dress shirt and slacks. He adds a tie onto his outfit for extra effect, but he always has it loose anyway. Among the accessories to be worn besides a tie, a few wear bows, suspenders, or vests on top of their shirts. Russell in particular can always be found wearing suspenders and, unrelated to the topic of clothing, can also always be found looking disgusted by whichever lower caste graced his presence. Most Selected, however, such as Jayden, wear nice button-ups with slacks or khakis. These are much for versatile, as they come in a range of flattering colors and patterns. Although not to be seen here, a few male Selected have found creative ways to... er, stand out. Such as Kimblee always wearing a bright white suit, or Greed, who somehow got a hold of leather pants. 

_From left to right, notes say: Jean "He wears a dress shirt, but the tie is never on right ;-;" Russell "Suspenders = asshole." (down) Jayden "Most Selected (male) wear casual button-up shirts like this."_

5\. Concept Art: Library

Edward's favorite spot in the castle... The entrance of the palace library is much more grand with it's skylight dome, statue, and spiraling staircase, but Edward very much prefers this quiet corner he's discovered in the nook of this enormous room. He would never admit it -especially to Alphonse- but he is very much like a cat in his loves of avoiding people, sitting by windows, and soaking up the sunlight. On an unrelated note, Mustang is very fond of cats ;)

6\. Wanna hear something?

Edward has grown up playing instruments his entire life, being a Five, but there was something almost magical playing his favorite song with a castle guitar. He'd never got to hold an instrument in such pristine condition before -his gig instruments used or handed down- and the echo of the strings was never more clear. Having something familiar for the first time since in the Selection definitely helped calmed his nerves. He got so relaxed, in fact, that he completely forgot for a moment that Mustang was listening. Just for a moment, he was home again.

_(Note: The song he played was Trisha's Lullaby)_

7\. Welcome to the Selection

Although mostly a romantic reality show for entertainment, the Selection has much more to it than simply winning the heart of the crown prince. Classes must be taken, and passed, from Izumi, a strict and fiery tutor. Her family have been teaching future royalty since the founding of Amestris, and she takes her duty very seriously. She tutored Mustang himself when he was a child, and still has the same energy -and looks, somehow- from all those years back to once again teach everything to know about being a royal. Although this time, it has the added challenge of being a large group of Selected who are much more interested in winning the prince than winning the country. The second most influential staff at the castle to said group, is Alex, a celebrity man. He's was originally an A list actor, but enthusiastically accepted the offer to become the host of the Central Report. He's eccentric, rich, but very faithful to the royal family and practically bouncing on his heels to see the prince fall in love. He's also in charge of leading the teams to document the footage, and is extremely excited -to the point of impatience- to send out his cameramen. By tradition, he has to wait until the first week and Central Report with the Selected has passed. But boy does he have some 'ideas' up his sleeves... 

8\. Roy and Edward

This isn't an scene that's exactly happened before, but this is an accurate depiction of what the two would look like forced to stand next to one another- probably for a photo or something. Roy usually is seen wearing embellished jackets and coats, sometimes with sashes, with pins and medals that mark his as a prince. Edward, on the other hand, prefers being much more casual, but Mei usually gets her way when she forces him to at least wear a vest. Neither of these are exactly what the pair wore on their 'Totally Not a Date TM', but this is the general gist. Edward finds the effort to look 'flattering' pointless and embarrassing to say the least...

_(Note: Headcannon Ed's waist is s n a t c h e d )_

9\. Wet Hair

It could surely be agreed that Roy and Edward look great all the time, but what about after taking an accidental swim? Edward clearly is flustered when Roy brushes his hair back, but the English Sheep dog incident proves that the prince's hair doesn't always work out after coming up from water. Roy, on the other hand, is hopelessly and completely enamored with Edward's hair. But then again, who wouldn't be?

_From top to bottom, notes say: "Wet Hair Ratings!" Edward rates Roy an 8 "-2 points for consistency." and Roy rates Edward 10+ "He tried to add zeros..."_

10\. Concept Art: Pergola

Last, but not least, is the spot where Roy and Edward had their "Totally Not a Date TM." It's a rather huge space, and Edward could only fathom how it looked long ago, when used as a secret dock. Plant covered all of it, but now only a few remain on the rotting wood and growing between the cracking stones...

That's all I have for now! 10 sketches for chapter 10 lol. I'll return with the real chapter 10 hopefully soon! Please stay safe, I'll see you guys later!


	11. Sunstruck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward wasn’t sure if he was more grateful for the dark hiding his flushing face or for no longer being pinned in a closet. Probably both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oml you guys are the best! Like, seriously, the reception I got from the art intermission chapter was insane! >< I'm so appreciative of how kind you all are and it's great to know that I can share multiple types of content, so I can't thank you all enough! <3 Not sure if I'll ever do another one, but rest assured that it'll be sparse between written chapters if I do. Speaking of the written chapters, I do my best to keep each 10 pages for consistency and as a tangible goal for myself, but I once again wrote more on accident oof. Consider it a surprise, I guess xD Edward was supposed to get his letters at the end of this chapter too, but this went for so long that it's going to have to wait until the next chapter rippp. Either way, I hope you enjoy these 15 pages of our favorite two idiots acting like... well, idiots. xD  
> Please enjoy!

Edward's arms felt like they were going to fall off. He signed heavily, sitting down on an old discolored stone bench and bending over to put on his shoes. They had been floating nearby the capsized boat, getting soaked just as badly as the rest of him. He scowled as his drenched sock and sole of the dress shoe came together with an unpleasant  _ squish. _

"I'm afraid we ought to take a slight detour before we join the others. Showing up soaked would bring about.. unnecessary questions." Roy said. He had his shirt unbuttoned and was wringing out the tail ends of it while Edward tried his best to not look.

"That's fine." He mumbled, overly focused on his own dilemma. He ended up taking off the shoe again to drain some water, before giving up and deciding to deal with the soggy state. 

"I tried to dry it the best I could…" Roy came over to the bench -shirt still unbuttoned- and handed a vest to the blond; it was crumpled from the prince having vigorously wrung it out but folded in a neat square anyway. Edward couldn't help but scoff when he took it.

"That's fine." He repeated, "I told you, I hated wearing that thing."

"An offense, really."

"Bullshit."

Roy chuckled and began to button up his shirt. "I know a servant's room that should be relatively empty and have spare clothes to change in. It's not far."

“Is it through a secret passage or another dungeon?” 

“Yes, actually.” Roy admitted, his eyebrows raising in surprise. Edward looked at him. “Mustang, that was a  _ joke _ .”

“Well, it’s rather true unfortunately.” He lightly shrugged. The fabric of the shirt still clung to his every movement, and Edward found his eyes accidentally trailing along it before snapping them back up to the prince’s face. The blond huffed. 

“I must be crazy to follow you, but whatever. Lead the way.” He grumbled, standing up from the bench. Roy gave him a half perplexed and amused look from that, but complied anyway and turned around to head back inside. Edward wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

It had turned sideways, but swimming in the moat had felt so rejuvenating after being cooped for nearly a week in such a way that even working out couldn’t achieve. But on the other hand, Roy had suddenly started to give him weird looks ever since getting out of the capsize, and the blond couldn’t even  _ begin _ to decipher them. They were strangely leveling, as if the prince was trying to work something out in his head, but every time Edward thought he could finally read the real emotion behind that gaze, he would blink and it would disappear. 

Maybe he was imagining it. 

Edward idly shivered as a cool breeze brushed by and he looked back up from the floor, belatedly noticing that Roy was glancing at him from over his shoulder, with that weird look again. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t completely his imagination. The blond raised a single eyebrow in obvious question.

“My apologies, it’s only-” Roy immediately stammered, coming to a halt and facing him fully. They barely had reached the end of the path under the pergola, and were just about to reach the door, but the prince’s hand was paused on the handle. “Are you alright?”

Edward shifted. He wanted to put his hands in his pockets but realized he couldn’t with the blasted vest he was holding. “Yeah, why?”

“I wouldn’t want you to catch anything…”   
Edward couldn’t help but look up. “I’m not going to get sick from some little swim, Mustang. I’ll be fine.”

The prince fidgeted as if he really had to restrain himself from trying to outright argue the claim. “Alright, then…” He conceded, clearly reluctantly. Roy turned back around, but instead of opening the door, he let go of the handle and turned into the small cavity on the side of the wall. They had already hidden the boat there -putting it away was the first thing they did- so Edward stood there hesitantly, unsure why Roy went back in. He raised his eyebrows when the prince emerged holding his folded, dry coat. Oh yeah, he had left it on the ledge. “Could you still perhaps wear this, at the very least?” He asked" offering the garment on his arm.

Edward was dumbfounded. “Your… coat?”

“As a precautionary measure.” Roy continued to hold it out to him, but his brows visibly creased when the blond made no move to take it. “It’s dry.” He added, as if trying to explain.

“I’m not an idiot, I know why- but really, I just don’t need-”

“Please, Edward?” 

He glared at Roy for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. “Thank you for the chivalrous offer, but I’m not some damsel you need to dote on.” He said, brushing past him and opening the door himself. Whatever reaction the prince had to that, Edward didn’t see, and he only turned back around after taking a few steps inside. 

In all honesty, the blond found the proposition strangely uncomfortable. Not because of the offer itself, but because of the insinuation that came with it; Opening doors, offering coats, and similar things just screamed  _ date _ to him, which was far from what he wanted their dynamic to be. Better shoot those types of ideas down before they have a chance to get off the ground, after all. 

“So where’s this other dungeon of yours?” He asked, still helplessly relieved to see that Roy looked unaffected from the rejection for the most part. The prince lightly laughed. “Secret passage, actually. It’s right down here.” 

He turned and began to walk down a different hallway of the ancient stone wing while Edward followed closely behind, his vision suddenly impaired in the darkness. Like the prince had claimed, it wasn’t long until they came to a spiraling stone staircase that led back up.

“These are usually hidden quite well for the servants, though this passage’s entrance is rather exposed due to, er, its aging circumstances. This one will lead us right to the current servant’s floor in the South wing and is invisible up there, so there’s no need to worry.”

Edward raised his eyebrows. “If these are meant for the castle staff, how come you know about them so well?” 

Roy didn’t say anything right away, and it was impossible to get a good read on him when Edward was facing his back in a dim corridor. He was forced to wait for the response, the only sound filling the space being their echoing footsteps. 

“I suppose you can say…” He began, sounding as if he was still choosing his words. “I had a lot of time to pass as a child.”

Edward opened his mouth, an invasive question on what Roy meant by ‘having a lot of time to pass’ on his lips, before he closed it and shook his head. “How much is there that’s not on the map?” He asked instead. The prince’s shoulders instantly loosened from tension at the change of subject, and Edward wasn’t sure what to make of that. 

“Oh, well,” Roy blew out a long breath, “There’s secret passages everywhere, honestly. A few are directly connected to go from one place to another, or, like this one, it’s part of the vast network that’s interlaced throughout the castle.” He paused. 

They had come to a sparse opening with more tunnels attached to it, and Edward couldn’t help but suck in his breath imagining getting lost in something like this. It was only lit by the wooden cracks in the ceiling, a normal floor being above them, and it was barely tall and wide enough to let one person through at a time. He wasn’t even claustrophobic, but the idea -and the cold- was enough to make him shiver.

“I hope you know where we’re going…”

“Of course I do,” Roy grinned, shooting the blond a side glance over his shoulder. He began to take the path to the left, and it was with intense relief that Edward noticed the stone walls turned into blocks of cement. It got brighter too, at last, as small buzzing LED bars of light began dotting the wall every few spaces. “Many of these passages are used on a daily basis, so it’s not nearly as easy to get lost as you think it is. It’s clear when you’ve gone to the renovated side of the castle and when you’ve gone too far down into the abandoned halls.”

Edward hummed, nodding to himself. It made sense, and it would explain how he never saw servants trekking down the main wings and instead somehow ‘magically’ showing up to the dinning hall with platters of food. “But what about this one?” He couldn’t help but ask. “Wouldn’t someone see us?”    
He saw Roy’s back shrug. “There’s always the possibility. Although, this is the passage that connects to two different parts of the castle. Unless a servant has reason to be in the abandoned -and restricted- areas, I highly doubt anyone would be coming down. Luckily for us, however,”

They both stopped, coming up to what looked like a wall, but the prince only smirked and put his hand at an ambiguous corner. “We’re allowed to go wherever we want.”

A square formed where Roy put his hand, the cement being pushed in like a button, and the entire wall moved forward and to the side, revealing a grand hallway.

“Holy shit, I thought that only happened in movies.” The blond admitted.

“Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Hell yeah it is.” Edward grinned, pushing past the prince to see better. He peeked his head out of the passage and had to squint with the sudden light from the tall windows.

“Does it really blend in with the wall?” 

Roy nodded, looking a bit too pleased with himself than the blond liked, and checked the hallway before stepping outside and gesturing to it. “It certainly does. Would you like to see?”

Edward stepped out of the secret corridor with him, putting his hands on his hips skeptically. “There’s no way.” He insisted, but he was smiling at the prospect anyway.

“Go ahead. Touch the top right corner of the door.”

Edward glanced back at the prince, unsure for a moment, before turning back around and hesitantly putting his hand on the specified area. The wall pushed inwards in the shape of a box again, and the whole section shifted over the passage before dropping into it like a mold filling a gap perfectly. It was only a second until the blond blinked and, suddenly, any sign of a passage was gone. 

“Damn, that’s seamless.” He awed, crouching down and lightly tracing his hand along the spots he last remembered the lines. Edward looked over his shoulder after a long moment of wonder. “How does it work?”   
Roy was smiling, but at the question the expression immediately faltered. “Ah, um- I’m not quite sure, to be perfectly honest.”

“You’re joking.”

The prince laughed. “I wish I was.”

Edward huffed and stood up, but his irritation was mostly for show. The secret doors were fucking awesome.

“Well, I’m going to find out.” He swore.

“I’m sure you will.” Roy grinned, for some reason looking very amused. “The laundry room isn’t much further now. It’s only a few ways down.”

Edward looked around properly for the first time. All the halls really did look identical, but the fact that there were no televisions and hardly any embellishments probably had to do with the fact that these held the servant facilities. The tile was bare as opposed to having the rich red carpet that most of the other hallways had running down the middle, and grand paintings and vases of flowers were few and far between. “Shouldn’t there be servants or guards around here?” He wondered out loud, finding the emptiness a bit sketchy as they began to walk down.

“Well, this is one of the less used areas, because the primary kitchens, laundry rooms, and lounges and such are further inside the castle. We try to keep them safe in case of an emergency.”

Edward frowned. “Are you talking about the massive windows? The Selected dorms are in a hallway with the same thing.” 

In fact, despite the differences of being the servant’s wing, this hallway reminded the blond so much of his own. The overall atmosphere was near identical with its stunning view of one side of the high corridor being entirely glass instead of wall. More of Central could be seen from here, however, as skyscrapers and numerous downtown buildings starkly contrasted with the clear sky. It looked almost like a whole other world, far beyond the realm of the castle and untouchable on the other side of the moat. 

“Oh, your wing is considerably much safer. All of your windows and balconies overlook the garden, correct? This side, on the other hand, faces the less-protected edge and is fully vulnerable in comparison.” Roy went on to explain. “We should be alright here despite this, though.”

“Yet some genius designed windows to be here in the first place.” 

“Pity you could not be there to give them the proper critique all those years ago.” Roy teased. Edward could only flippantly shrug. 

“What can I say? Not everyone can be ancient like you are.” 

Edward tried his best to not be satisfied with the way he saw Roy’s eyebrow twitch -he really did- but he ended up laughing from the prince’s expression anyway.

“I’m opting to pretend I didn’t hear that.” 

“Whatever floats your boat. Or in this case, makes you fall off the boat, I guess.”

The prince looked at him, incredulous, yet still half-smiling. “ _ You _ were the one that pushed me in. Need I remind you?” 

“Oh no,” Edward said with extra sarcasm as he motioned to his wet clothes. “I completely forgot about that whole thing.”

“Must you really patronize me?” Roy dramatically lamented, shooting the blond a pout. He suddenly froze though, and his smug expression completely fell.

“What-”

“Hold on a minute.” The prince ordered, somehow managing to whisper and not-whisper at the same time. Edward’s eyebrows creased, confused, but he abruptly tensed as he heard it too-

Footsteps.

“Someone’s coming.”

“Fucking no shit, but from where?”

They both silently waited, unable to identify the direction it was coming from. Curse the marble walls and floors and ginormous halls. They echo as loud as fuck, and it made it impossible to properly distinguish anything. A strange surge of adrenaline overcame Edward at the prospect of being caught off guard like this. It was a super long hallway, sure, but that didn’t lessen anyone’s ability to see all the way down it. He strained to hear better, but as the footsteps got louder -they were heels- it got no better.

“Wait, I think they may be going the other way now…” Roy whispered slowly, the cadence of footsteps lulling off. “We need not to worry if it’s a servant…” 

Edward frowned. “I don’t think….” He turned around, and sucked in his breath. 

It was Izumi.

She was looking down, her eyes on a clipboard, having just turned the corner. And now she was walking  _ towards _ them.    
“Oh fuck-” 

It didn’t take long for Roy to turn around and see her too. Judging by his expression, he felt exactly the same way at the prospect of being seen by the tutor. “Quick, go inside that room!” He urged. They both rushed to the nearby door, but when the prince got a hold of the handle- it didn’t budge.

Mustang grimaced and looked back over his shoulder- surely expecting she would have looked up from her papers by now- but was startled as Edward grabbed his arm.

“Behind the pillar!” 

That was all it took for the prince to understand, and they quickly scuffled to the column right next to the door. Edward got to it first and dragged Roy down to the floor with him. They slammed their backs against the pilaster, out of breath.

“Do you suppose she-”

“Shh!” 

Mustang snapped his mouth shut at the reprimand and- it was... silent.

The heels had stopped.

Edward leaned his head back on the marble and closed his eyes, praying she didn’t see them. Holy shit that would look  _ so _ bad.

“Is anyone there?” 

Roy and Edward both winced; it was Izumi’s voice. It echoed down the hall like a foreboding premonition. The blond half expected her to call out that she saw them, and that they better come out, and that she was going to beat the shit out of them, but instead… 

Nothing. 

It was agonizingly quiet for another moment, and Edward and Roy shared distraught looks. There was no telling what that woman was thinking, but finally, the heels picked up again. They were slow, like Izumi was still skeptical, and for a split second the blond was ready to sigh in relief. But then the tap of her heels sped up, way faster than before. She was walking towards them again, and walking fucking  _ fast _ . 

She had heard them.

Edward felt his chest seize. There was no chance she wasn’t going to notice them behind the column once getting close enough. His eyes darted to another door up ahead, and then back to Roy, who was watching him. 

“But that’s…” The prince started.

“I know.”

It was a risk. A huge fucking risk. If that door was also locked, they were screwed. But if it wasn't, it was their best shot. The pillar could only cover them while she remained a few paces behind, but Izumi’s footsteps only got closer still. Roy shook his head like the idea was crazy, but he got Edward’s arm and pulled him anyway. They stayed low and quickly snuck to the other room. The prince’s hands actually fumbled before he got a hold of the handle. This time, it opened. 

“Thank god.” Edward breathed, slipping inside as soon as it was wide enough. Roy followed close behind and quickly shut the door, and either because of the fear or adrenaline or both, he started to laugh.

“Shut up!” Edward whispered, but -god dammit- he was laughing too. His heart wanted to beat out of his chest, but it was in such an exhilarating way that the blonde couldn’t help but grin like mad. 

“Do you think we’re-” The prince crouched over, still smiling and out of breath, “safe?” 

“Um...” 

They both paused, trying to listen, and both of their matching grins immediately fell. Izumi was fucking running. 

_ Shit, shit, shit. _

“C’mon, c’mon!” Edward pressed, already pulling Roy up. 

They were in a storage room, filled with old furniture with dusty coverings blanketing them. The blond frantically looked around to see where they could hide.

“Where could we…?”

“The wardrobe.” Edward immediately pointed. They got to it, and thankfully, it was more than big enough to hold the both of them. Roy scarcely had to hunch over to dart inside and the blond was easily able to cram in on the opposite end. 

“There…” Edward sighed, closing the doors. His relief was short lived, however, as immediately there was a deafening bang. Izumi had barreled inside, slamming the door open.

“I know you’re in here.” She drawled as if she was trying to coax out an animal. It only made the chill running down Edward’s spine colder. He looked to Roy, who was barely visible with the sliver of light coming from between the wardrobe doors, but he only put a finger to his lips.

“What are you doing?” Edward quietly seethed, seeing the prince lean forward. He was trying to look through the crack. “Sh, I’m trying to see.”

The blond opened his mouth, about to tell Roy what an idiot he was being, when a loud crash made him jump. He clutched the folded vest closer to himself, which he somehow still had and hadn’t dropped yet. His knuckles must’ve been white by now.

“She broke a table.” The prince explained, voice scarcely a whisper. 

“How can you be so calm?!” Edward fumed, fighting the urge to yank Roy away from the doors.

“She’s going around the room…”

There was another crash outside, and the blonde felt his hand twitch in a desire to run or fucking  _ do _ something. His heart pounded in his ears loud enough to seemingly give their position away as her heels clicked nearer ominously. After a long moment, Edward heard them stop again… right in front of the wardrobe. 

Roy’s eyes suddenly widened.

“Oh shit-” He immediately recoiled to the other side. Edward’s back was roughly pushed flat onto the wood- right as Izumi’s leg crashed through the opposite door. 

It had missed hitting Roy only by a strand of hair.

“Mrs. Curtis!” Out of nowhere, a man’s voice called. “I need your opinion on- oh! What are you doing?!”

Edward held his breath. He saw, over Roy’s shoulder, the tutor’s heel scrape down the wardrobe’s backing before stomping on the ground. “I’m hunting some castle vermin, Mr. Clarus. Can’t you tell?”

The man surprisingly laughed. “Why no, I couldn’t.” 

Edward’s eyes widened as he realized that the familiar voice belonged to Alex, the Central Report host. He continued, sounding to be standing at the doorway. “To me it appeared like you were a crazy woman breaking furniture.”

Izumi stepped back, far enough to no longer have her foot in the wardrobe and far enough to no longer be one glance away from seeing the two men hiding right behind the other door. “You know you’re the only one who could say such things to me without getting beat to a pulp.”

Alex laughed again. “Of course. And you know I’m honored to have that privilege. We have a bigger crisis on our hands at the moment, however, and I need you at the studio room.”

Izumi’s sigh sounded close enough to make Edward flinch.

“Is it your new camera again?”

“Of course!”

It was silent for a moment as she didn’t reply right away. Despite the barrier of wood, the blond just  _ knew _ she was glaring in their direction. 

“I could’ve sworn…” She muttered, clearly debating whether or not to finish her ‘hunt’.

“You know you can file a report for the guards to check it out.”

“Hm… I suppose that’s true. Should they really be bothered to find some stray, however?”

“Report it to the maids then.”

“I’ll tell the guards,” She settled after a while, “The creature could be rabid.”

“Yes, yes, very good.” Alex said, already sounding further away. The click of Izumi’s heels followed him out, and there was a soft thud of the door closing. Then silence. 

Edward let out a breath, and tension left him in a flood of relief. 

“Holy shit,” The adrenaline high must really be doing things to him, because he was already starting to laugh again. “That was fucking  _ close _ .”

“I thought we were done for when she started to run.” Roy guffawed, sounding to also be somehow finding the whole ordeal scarily hilarious. 

“I know right! And when she followed us into the room-”

“I was already planning my funeral after  _ that _ .”

Edward laughed, “Jeez, let’s never do this again.”

“I completely agree.” Roy half sighed and half chuckled. 

The blond’s smile fell and he winced as he felt the soft breath brush his bangs. For the first time since being shoved against the wardrobe wall, he belatedly realized what position they were both in. Ah, yes, there’s not much space when using half a wardrobe...

“Oh- Um, could you…” He started, trying to not awkwardly laugh. He hated how small he felt for a second, especially while unable to shift from practically hugging himself with the blasted vest against his chest.

“Oh! Yes, of course! My apologies-” Roy immediately stammered, flinching back. Edward wasn’t sure if he was more grateful for the dark hiding his flushing face or for no longer being pinned in a closet. Probably both. 

The prince stumbled out of the wardrobe first, narrowly missing the new additions of splintered wood, and opened the other door for the blond.

“Are you alright?” 

Edward followed him out, making sure to pretend to cough in his arm as an excuse to look away. “Course I am...” He would never admit that he was saying it for his own sake more than for Roy’s, and instead he decided to distract himself with the handy broken furniture that now surrounded them. Edward glanced over his shoulders after a moment and raised his eyebrows. “Damn, she actually kicked the door down.”

“Nearly killed me.” Roy added. 

His tone made the blond suddenly laugh. “Holy shit, yeah, huh?” He turned back around curiously. “And am I crazy or did you say ‘shit’ right before?”

“Oh- um,” Roy looked like a deer caught in headlights. “I couldn’t have possibly- you must have heard wrong. Ah, we’re still soaked, aren’t we? Er, let’s continue to the laundry room. It’s close.” He began walking out, and the blond didn’t even hesitate in bounding after him.

“Wowwww,” Edward grinned, feeling a lot better. “You really rather  _ lie _ , than just admit you said ‘shit’?”

“I don’t intend to lie, per say...”

“It’s not even a real curse word!”

“It’s not?” The genuine surprise on the prince’s face made Edward laugh again. “Holy shit, Mustang. You have the audacity to take me to a restricted part of the castle -including dungeon and secret passage- try to ride a million year old boat, swim in the moat, and run away from castle staff, but you can’t even admit to saying ‘shit’??”

“Ah, well,” Roy was finally smiling himself about it, “It’s rather undignified, unfortunately.”

“Oh yeah. I’ll totally judge for it. How dare you say the ‘shit’ word. You do realize that I’m going to have to tell your mother now, right?”

“Alright, alright. I get your point.” He laughed.

Edward didn’t know why his own grin got wider with that. He looked at the floor for a moment while they walked. “It’s kinda funny though.”

“What is?”

“I dunno. This whole thing…” He looked up at the prince and shot him an accusing look. “Did you purposely plan this? Was it because I said we had to do stupid shit?”

“No...” Roy chuckled, shaking his head. “Believe me. If this day was up to me, it would’ve gone  _ very _ different.” 

Edward slightly raised a single eyebrow. “Different how?”

“Different as in perfect. At least, what I thought would’ve been perfect…” Roy easily admitted. “Although, you know, I think I much prefer how things turned out. Regardless of everything... “ He laughed. “Though perhaps minus Mrs. Curtis’ role. That might’ve been a bit much.”

Edward watched the prince closely as he took that in, genuinely surprised that he found no sarcasm in those words; Roy was being honest. His smile fell though as the last part registered. “Hold on,” Edward lightly frowned to himself. “I know why  _ I _ was hiding from her, but why were you? I mean, you wouldn’t have gotten in trouble being the prince and all... right?”

Roy’s own smile turned strained and he put his hands behind his back, sheepishly looking away. “Ah, it’s true that, had that been just a servant or guard, we wouldn’t have had to hide, but you see…”

“Yes…??”

  
“Mrs.Curtis was my tutor growing up and-”

Edward held a hand to his face. “Say no more.” He couldn’t help but laugh. “Honestly, that explains it all.” Izumi being an authoritative figure in his life since being a child? Yeah, prince or not, getting caught by  _ her _ doing something mildly questionably was a dangerous spot to be in.

“Does it now?” Roy raised his eyebrows. “You’ve had her as your tutor for only three days now, correct?”

“I’m a fast learner.” He supplied; The prince grinned at that. 

“I have no doubt that you are.”

“Comes with being a Five. I have to learn new pieces in less than a day sometimes.”

“Is that so?” Roy asked, stopping in front of a door. The laundry room thankfully wasn't locked or anything, but his expression sobered up considerably as they walked inside anyway for some reason. “Ah, I still owe you an apology for what I said  _ before _ , don’t I...?” 

Edward frowned at the mention of their previous argument back on the boat. “Who ever said that you gotta apologize for anything?” He immediately retorted, not interested in bringing this up again. He hadn’t reacted to the whole thing in the best way either, and right now he didn’t feel like having to admit to such things. Besides, he’d like to think that they sorted everything out in their little ‘splash’ fight- which he totally won, by the way.

“Are you certain-”

“It’s fine, Mustang.” He cut him off. “Really. Don’t worry about it.”

For the second time, the blond could  _ see _ the prince restraining himself from rebuking it. Edward sighed and turned around. “So!” He moved on, finally able to abandon his blasted vest on the closest shelf. “Let’s find some clean clothes. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

The room wasn’t too big, and there wasn’t a lot to have to look through; there was only a set of washing and drying machines on one side, with racks and baskets on another. There was a neatness to it that implied that it really wasn’t in current use, but the scarce thin layer of dust proved it wasn’t completely deserted like the storage room was either. 

“These, here, should be clean.” Roy supplied, putting his own coat down. “They’re the folded ones in the basket.”

“Holy shit, I didn’t know I was in the presence of Sherlock Holmes.” Edward deadpanned, already rifling through the folded pile. Sure enough, there were plenty of seeming ‘spare’ dress shirts and pants. 

“Edward,” Roy languished. He laughed anyway though when the blond held up a shirt, that was clearly too big for him, and scowled. Edward quickly tossed it aside and got a few more shirts, only to be dismayed by getting the same over-sized results. “Interesting.” Roy grinned. 

“Whaddaya mean by that?” He groused. 

“Here, what about this one?” The prince offered, ignoring his question. He somehow managed to instantly find a folded pair that already looked smaller than the rest. “I suppose this might be the, um-  _ smallest _ set they’ll have here.”

Edward stared at Roy with a grimace. Part of him wanted to argue that he wasn’t small or short, just fucking lean or something, but doing so would probably just make the smile on Roy’s lips widen. “Fine.” He settled on instead, yanking the dress shirt and pants from his hands. “I mean, this is just until I could get back into my room, right?”

“Correct.” He beamed, all innocent and shit. “Why don’t you change first? I’ll step out.”

“You fucking better.” 

Roy just laughed, already walking to the hallway. “I’ll keep watch by the door as well, so just come out when you’re finished.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Once the prince left the room and shut the door behind him, the blond began to make quick work of undressing. He was able to find a clean pair of socks in a hamper, but anything beyond that he was stuck with still being wet, like his boxers and shoes. As long as he  _ looked _ dry he’d be able to make it to his dorm wasn’t raising questions, so that was all that mattered. It kinda helped that the time spent running from Izumi mostly dried his hair, but, despite that, Edward still couldn’t help but huff exasperatedly. The trousers refused to fit any better with the tightest loop on the belt, and only managed to hang low on the hips while the shirt was no better. Trying to tuck it in only proved in making the frumpy pants look more, well, frumpy, so he just left it out. It nearly could’ve been a dress with how long it fit him. 

“Okay,” He called, reaching the door. He hated how the clothes fit him over-sized, it made him feel like some little kid again, but he was more inclined to leave than he was embarrassed, so he opened the door. Roy saw him and immediately grinned.

“If you fucking breath a  _ single _ word-”

The prince covered his mouth, but it did little to muffle his laughter. 

“My apologies, it’s only that you look so-”

Edward raised his eyebrows, challenging him to finish that sentence.

“Nevermind…” He meekly chuckled, rightly backing off. Good for him, because otherwise he was gonna get pounded. 

“That’s what I thought.” Edward nodded, brushing past him.

Roy shot him one last amused glance though, and it did little to quell the blond’s desire to throw something at the smug bastard’s face.

“Oh, hold on a minute.” He said, looking serious for a moment as if realizing something. The prince walked back inside, only to come out with his coat again.

“No, Mustang, I am not-”

“This time you have to. What will a maid think if they see a Selected just standing in a wing they’re not supposed to? Additionally, the guards Mrs. Curtis sent could be here soon, and this is proof that you’re with me right now.” Roy held the jacket out to him again, this time his expression looking far more insistent. Edward looked at it, then back up to the prince, who smiled. “We wouldn’t want another incident like your first night in the garden, correct?”

The blond crossed his arms and groaned. “Just don’t take long and it’ll be fine-”

“Please, Edward?” He pleaded again, his tone actually making the blond pause. He wanted to just reject it again, but the prince was now making this stupid pouty puppy-eye face that was strangely way too effective to Edward’s liking. The blond let his shoulders droop and sighed. “Fine-” 

That proved to be enough for permission, however, as before he could even reach out to accept it, Roy stepped closer and flung it over the blond’s shoulder like an embellished cape. The sensation was immediate; The coat's heavy material weighed warmly down on Edward’s shoulders and, instantly, either from the fabric or from the prince now being in his personal space, the air became tinged with Roy’s scent. Despite the water, he still smelled of vanilla and dusty parchment, and it was suddenly all too much. The adrenaline and darkness must’ve really impaired him, because suddenly, now in the bright window-hallway, it all felt so much acute.

Edward tried to step back, but it was no use as Roy just paid mind to adjusting the jacket, pulling the collar forward to secure the coat around the blond, as if he didn’t even notice. The blond scowled, irritated how the situation was making his heart involuntarily palpitate and stutter. He could feel the soft touch of the prince’s breath and see each individual ebony eyelash; Roy was too goddamn  _ close _ .

“It fits you a little big…” The prince began, his lip quirking up. Incredibly, he somehow stepped even closer as he straightened the lapels, even as Edward did his best to lean back. “Though, I assure you that at least it’ll keep you warm-” Roy looked up and smiled. Then he froze, and he blinked as if he actually just realized how fucking  _ close _ he got. Edward saw the flash of recognition in his face. He really believed for a moment that the prince would jump back, immediately apologizing, and the strange moment would end just like it did with the wardrobe but instead, this time-

Roy just... stared.

His expression of surprise shifted into something else entirely, and it was so piercing that Edward felt the hairs on the back of his neck bristle.

“What?” He nearly snapped.

“You…” Roy paused as if considering for a moment. He looked completely transfixed as he slowly brought up a hand to tilt Edward’s chin up, splashing more sunlight on his face with the angle, and continued to just look at him. To the blond’s horror, he couldn’t even bring himself to move away. He stared back, wide-eyed. 

“I never noticed before…” The prince began, “You have... faint freckles.” He half smiled again, but his gaze was still way too searching, too intrusive, too intense, and he  _ still _ didn’t fucking move. 

“Mustang-” Edward started, trying to frown but feeling his face failing and doing a stupid combination of scowling and awkwardly smiling. He put his hands on the prince’s chest in a flail attempt to lightly push him away, but Roy didn’t take the hint and didn’t budge a muscle. “Can you maybe just-”

The blond stopped, startled by the prince as he suddenly took both of his hands in his. “Can I tell you something, Edward?” He asked, cutting him off. His voice was much softer and lower than before, and it did not help the blond in the slightest.

“I- um,” Edward stammered, mouth going dry. He was screaming at his legs to fucking move, but they weren’t working and he stood there entirely frozen, his breathing hitching on its own accord. What the fuck was happening?

“I… I don’t think I want to know.” He finally managed, unable to help but look away, a small forced laugh escaping at the end.

“Is that so?” Roy lightly mused. He gently rubbed circles on Edward’s clasped hands with his thumbs and brought them together between them. “Do you know what it is that I’m going to say?” 

Edward swallowed and shook his head, tentatively darting his eyes back up to the prince. “N-no, but-”

Roy didn’t look like he was even listening, and instead was looking down- down at Edward’s lips. 

The blond felt his heart jump to his throat. 

Oh fuck.

“Mustang-” He tried, his chest pounding. If he thought he was experiencing adrenaline before,  _ holy shit _ this was on an entirely different level. One of his legs finally took a clumsy step back, but it didn’t make nearly enough space. “Hm?” Roy half replied.

“I-”

Then he saw it.

Not far over Roy’s shoulder, barely turning the corner and walking into the hall now in a flit of purple. It was… Lyra. 

She froze, clearly seeing them. Her eyes went enormously wide before she promptly turned around and began to walk the other way.

Oh shit.

“Oh! I, uh, gotta go, Mustang.” Edward stuttered, “Lyra just passed us and I really need to talk to her about- er, something. Yes, it’s very important and I gotta do it now, so, um… I’m going.” 

Thankfully, his body was finally listening and he was able to pull back, freeing his hands from the prince’s. Roy blinked a few times as if shell-shocked.

“O-Oh, um-”

“Lyra!” Edward called, waving his arm. She pivoted, her eyes still saucers, and she looked around before pointing to herself questioningly. 

“Me?”   
“Yes, you. We need to talk!” 

Roy scarcely spared her glance; he was stuck watching Edward in what looked to be a mix of inner horror and confusion. The blond was already walking towards her, but he gave the prince his best apologetic look. “Uh, I’ll see you around, okay? Haha, yeah... Okay, bye.”

“Edward, I-”

The blond had to restrain himself from outright running, but luckily the laundry room had been very close to the other end of the hallway. It only took a second to catch up to the girl.

“Hey. Sorry, but I really needed to talk to you.” He began, still briskly walking. She immediately caught the hint and kept walking with him down into the other hall, despite looking utterly confused. “Hi? Um, how come?”

It was only once they disappeared from Roy’s view behind the corner that Edward stopped and properly turned towards her. “To get away from that.” He gestured behind his back, feeling the need to catch his breath despite not even being overly exerted. Lyra’s expression of surprise shifted into one more of curiosity as she considered him for a moment.

“From Prince Mustang?”

“Oh no, not him. Just- Arg.” Edward shrugged. “I dunno how to explain it.”

Lyra was watching him closely, and it was only then that the blond realized what kind of jeopardy he just had put himself into seeking safety from a  _ competitor _ . A competitor possibly not beneath facilitating rumors, gossip, shaming, and a million other things Edward had never really had to consider before the Selection became his life. He desperately began to prepare a wall for the inevitable questions he would now be slewed upon -because damn it he made a mistake- before she instead just pursed her lips. “Okay…” She said slowly. “Um, I was heading to the Selection wing. Is that okay?” 

“Huh?” Edward blinked, thrown off guard. That was it? No questions? No sly, knowing looks or glares? 

“Is that okay?” She repeated, just looking unsure. The blond, try as he might, couldn’t find any scheme or malice behind it. “Oh, for sure. That’s great, I’m heading that way too. Um,” He paused, now feeling in a strange position. “Thank you, though. For showing up when you did, I mean. I didn’t even hear you coming, but...” He glanced down, noticing she was wearing flats -which made a lot of sense- before looking up at her again. “But... Anyway, I’m glad that you did.”

“Really? Aw, that’s sweet of you, but I really didn’t do much... I was just here visiting-” Lyra abruptly cut herself off, and her small smile fell. At the realization she was't going to finish,  Edward raised an eyebrow and looked to the hallway she came from. It had a plate on the wall that read ‘Quarters’. 

“A servant, right?” He tried. 

Lyra visibly winced at the correct assumption and shot him a withering smile. “Yeah…”

“Okay,” Edward shrugged, “So which way from here do we go to get back? I’m guessing I accidentally already cut off your main route though. My bad.”

The change of subject didn’t go unnoticed, but the truth behind it was that he had no real desire to question her about it; It was none of his business. Most of all, Edward felt it was the least he could do considering that she didn’t question him either from suspiciously running from the prince. Lyra blinked and contemplated him for a second before breaking out into an easy smile. “Oh yeah, no worries. I know how to get back.”

“Cool.”

She began to lead the way, which was down the hall Edward had already forced them into, thankfully, so no backtracking was needed. Even better, the trip was surprisingly… not stressful. Most people would’ve tried to make conversation, or would’ve asked a billion questions by now, but Lyra simply didn’t. Usually Edward would find silence between a stranger awkward, but with her, it was just a relief. She was clearly a quiet person herself, and embraced the aspect so fully that even the blond couldn’t feel bad about the indulgence of his own anti-social nature. It was so refreshing, to the point that Edward was barely realizing that he’d somehow manage to neglect how exhausted he’s been the past few days. Befriending Winry, Jayden, Riza, Jean, and even the prince went well enough, sure, but it still didn’t lesson the effort that it took. Especially when comparing it to the days of hiding behind an instrument, behind music, and getting to come home to his mother and Alphonse. He sighed remembering his family. For so long his entire life had just felt like the three of them in their own little bubble. He missed them both a lot. 

“Okay,” Lyra started, her soft spoken voice still bringing Edward out of his thoughts. He hadn’t even realized when they made it back, and, sure enough, they were in the Selection wing and right in front of the door to the drawing room. “The drawing room session starts in a few minutes, but I’m guessing you might have to change and might be a bit late, right?” There was no tease or sly look in it, just a question. Edward laughed hollowly, looking down at himself. “Yeah-” He froze. 

Holy shit, he still had  _ Roy’s coat _ . 

And Lyra never even said a word or drew attention to it; what an angel. She must’ve noticed his mortification in belatedly noticing though and only giggled. “You’re friends with Winry too, right? I could tell her that you weren’t feeling too good so you could take your time. Loud enough for everyone to overhear and stuff. Only if you want, of course.”

Edward stared at her, at a loss of what to say. “Would you really do that for me?”

“Sure!” She easily beamed. The blond couldn’t help but frown.

“But  _ why _ ?”

She didn’t even know him. This was the first time they’ve even talked to one another and it wasn’t like Lyra owed him anything. In fact, it was probably the  _ opposite _ . Edward was technically to blame for getting her ganged up on the time that Roy went around apologizing for the contract, after all. She had been accused of being the one to ‘ruin things’ by bringing it up when it was really  _ his _ fault. Edward felt his gut sink lower, remembering Riza and Jean recalling that the situation even had her crying out of the room. Fuck- he had never even _apologized_ to her for it. She had every right to hate him, really.

Instead, Lyra looked up for a moment, as if actually thinking about it, before just shrugging and smiling again. “Why not?”

The blond felt like it was too good to be true, and that he really didn’t deserve this. “Really?” He repeated, “Honestly, I’d appreciate that so much, but-”

“Then it’s settled. I’m going to head on in, then.”

“Wait, no, I was gonna say that you don’t-” Edward reached out, but she had already went inside the room. “Have to....” He finished meekly. 

Well, then.

On one hand, he was immensely grateful, but on the other, he felt like a piece of shit. But then again, the latter was perpetual sometimes. Regardless, Edward huffed to himself and began to take Roy’s coat off as he made his way to the dorm hallway not far down. He wouldn’t want anyone else seeing him with it on, after all, and he tried reasoning to himself that -at the very least- he couldn't feel any worse about anything else… right?

It was hard not to think about how bad he felt practically abandoning Roy like that, but he managed to hold the thoughts under long enough to make it to his room. He didn't even want to _briefly_ consider whatever the hell that last part had been about. At least for the moment. In fact, He just wanted to not have to think _at all_ for a while. Maybe he should request a piano soon; he could stay playing on one for hours...

Edward was still wrestling with his thoughts by the time he came to his room. Seeing Mei, Claudia, and Jasmine waiting for him, however, had him smiling in relief at the familiar faces. 

“Oh look who’s back.” Mei cooed, jumping up to greet him. Her teasing expression immediately fell though as she took in his clothes, which were clearly not his, and she raised her eyebrows very high when she took the prince’s coat from his arms and looked at it. Edward was expecting her to make fun of him for it, but instead she regarded him a second more and glared. 

“Edward…” She gritted. His smile fell. “Yeah?”

“Where’s the vest?”

Edward blinked. Oh shit.

He’s a dead man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy and Ed: *strong, powerful, intimidating, smart, and literally badass in every possible sense.*  
> Izumi:*exists*  
> Roy and Ed: *hides* 
> 
> Also, guys let's get F in the chat for our Roy boy. xD Poor guy tried his best but really be hit with Ed's "aight imma head out" lmao
> 
> F


	12. Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn’t sick, but there was definitely something *wrong* with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dammit, this came out later than I wanted it to. I hope it's worth the wait anyway still! ^^ As always, I can't even begin to thank you all enough for the lovely comments you leave! They really make my day and motivate me <3 Also I didn't even realized when this fic passed 300+ kudos?! Holy cheese and crackers, thank you so much!!! I cri ;w;  
> Also light warning, we have our first visit from our guest star: angst! Big oof times.

The room went completely quiet when he walked in. 

All conversation stopped as everyone turned to stare, undeterred and unabashed. Lust merely had a gracefully arched brow, Greed and Ling feigned casual interest, but many, such as Russell, looked angered to the point of wanting to explode. Even Rose’s eyebrows were knit, lips pursed. 

Edward was surprised that he didn’t manage to fall on his face.

He made his way through the drawing room pretending not to feel the eyes burning holes onto his back and pretending that the attention didn’t make him feel sick enough to vomit. All of this scrutiny... just because he was 15 minutes late. 

“Oh, Ed.” Winry raised her eyebrows as if his entrance merely surprised her, but he had already caught the flash of suspicion from a second before. 

“Hey, Winry,” He greeted, approaching his usual corner. Edward could see Riza and Jean politely ‘focusing’ on their chess game and Jayden and Winry looking at him with forced innocence, but, even so, the blond had to suppress a grimace. It was clear without even having to check that the rest of the room was watching. He swallowed.

“Lyra said you weren’t feeling good… are you okay?”

Edward felt some tension leave his shoulders knowing that the kind girl kept her word- it was only little relief though. He still had some persuasion of his own to do, especially considering how heavily the room’s suspicions clung to him.

“Yeah, yeah…” He tried to shrug, but it was difficult with his arms crossed. “I was feeling really sick for a second, but a good bath helped.” It would explain the wet hair from the bath he actually just took, and he hoped the subtle way he held himself made it out to look like he was in some pain. Winry blinked and her eyebrows somehow went even higher, concern now looking genuine. “Oh yeah... You actually look kinda pale there. Are you sure you’re better?”

Edward was glad that their voices carried across easily in the near silence; he didn’t have to turn around to know that everyone was able to hear this. 

“Oh, really?” He couldn’t help but reach to feel his cheek. It sounded really convincing to back up his claim that he was ‘sick’, although Edward was a little surprised that he looked that way. He didn’t feel necessarily  _ sick _ , but come to think of it, he had been feeling a bit light-headed ever since Roy got close enough to make him fluster. It didn’t help that he also practically rushed to bathe and change in an attempt to simultaneously escape Mei’s wrath and be as not-late to the drawing room as possible. If anything, he should look flushed, not pale. Especially with the invasive recurring image in his mind of the prince looking at him with that god forlorn  _ expression _ right before Edward had managed to run. With his impossible closeness and warmth of his coat and the soft brush of his breath and sparkling droplets still on his hair and smell of vanilla with morning dew and when he had started to lean closer-

“Oh, Ed! Are you burning up?”

Sure enough, his face was on fire. 

Edward realized where his thoughts went in belated horror and forcefully coughed in his hand in an attempt to shake them. “Yeah, yeah,” He assured, but his voice came out strangled. Winry looked at him with increasing worry. He wasn’t sick, but there was definitely something  _ wrong _ with him. He cleared his throat again, and was grateful that the whole behavior seemed to help him appear convincingly ill rather than only an idiot. But god, he was such an  _ idiot _ . 

“Ed, maybe you should stay in bed…”

Whatever; He’ll take what he can get. 

“I’m sure it’s nothing. I’ll be fine.” He flopped into his window seat and feigned nonchalance to the best of his ability. He had to get a grip on himself. Winry’s replying small pout had Edward slightly stinging with guilt, but before she could add anything, he decidedly opened the book he brought with him. Maybe if he looked busy enough, everyone would drop their gaze and leave him alone. He definitely could use the time to sort out his thoughts too, because clearly something was off with him at the moment, and it wasn’t just because of a little water. 

Of course, he had no luck. 

“Were you with the prince?”

Edward didn’t have to look above the page to recognize the supercilious voice. “Oh, that would really bother you, wouldn’t it, Russell?” He asked airily, making a show of looking up with the most irritated and bored look he could muster. It was entirely grating how hyper aware he was of the room’s atmosphere, and of the fact that everyone was still watching and listening blatantly. It frayed his nerves to no end despite it having to have been only a minute so far. Fucking hell.

Edward’s inner suffering was slightly consoled when Russell made a face like he had just tasted something sour, which was kinda funny. The older blond shook his head and sneered before Edward could laugh about it though. 

“You wish. I don’t even know why I bothered asking. Clearly Prince Mustang wouldn’t spare you a second glance.” He huffed, turning back around with his nose in the air. 

“However, you  _ are _ the most suspicious…” Lust interjected, her voice eerily smooth. 

“Suspicious of what?” Edward exasperated, having to put the book down on his lap.

“Of being on a date with him.” 

There was a low chorus of agreement from other Selected as Lust let those words hang in the air. Edward felt his stomach twisting tighter; and to think he actually thought he could get through the evening without being hassled. What a fool’s idea. 

“C’mon guys, can’t you see for yourselves that he wasn’t feeling good?” Winry said, gesturing to the blond. “It’s fine, Winry.” He quickly reassured. If he was going to play this stupid game of keeping secrets and having to lie to do it, the last thing he wanted to do was get anyone else involved. Lyra’s deed was far more than he deserved as it was. 

“Listen, you can think whatever the fuck you want. I’m not here to pry in anyone’s business or let anyone do the same to me. You can go gossip somewhere else if that’s the case.” He said, doing his best to sound indifferent.

“So you’re not denying it.” Greed noted. His tone clearly fluctuated to imply that the words were more of an accusation than a question. Edward scowled. Okay, so they were all going to gang up on him now? The Twos had never spoken a word in his direction before, so their sudden vehement attention was genuinely more than a bit off putting. Even when Kimblee had walked in late yesterday, as conspicuous as ever, the pair wasn’t nearly as brash and open about questioning him. The man had clearly gotten back from a date, if his completely smug look was anything to go by, and he managed to command the same air of superiority on the matter like Lust had when making her announcement, all without even having to say anything about it at all. Most Selected even pretended not to stare or not to notice his flaunting late entrance, the most reaction happening only being sideways glances or glares from some throughout the drawing room session. Sure, unlike Edward, he wasn’t hiding it, but the blond felt like everyone would’ve remained begrudgingly silent on the tension regardless. Then it hit him, and realization sunk in like a punch to his stomach. 

It was because he was a Five.

No one questioned Kimblee because they had no right too. Being a Two even kept Lust and Greed a respectful distance away, and of course it would. He probably had enough power from his family name alone to keep the entire press from speaking badly of him. Edward, on the other hand, clearly had none of that fame, or title, or money. To a room full of upper castes, he might as well be a pointless decor on a wall or a curtain drape for them to never acknowledge except for when they want to criticize the taste of scenery. Fucking assholes. 

“Would denying it make you feel better?” He deadpanned, not hiding the irritation in his voice. He could sense it now, the growing unease in the room all because they had expected him to yield by now. To follow the social hierarchy and crumble under the wishes of an upper caste. For him, to continue standing his ground in itself was pushing the limit of what Twos thought were ‘insults’. Sure enough, Lust was glaring, and even Threes were shifting in their seats looking partially offended. Greed, to his surprise however, just gruffly laughed.

“I get it.” He grinned, putting his arms up in mock surrender before leaning back further on the couch, “I guess we’ll never know.” Lust shot her own friend an accusing look at that and Edward just blinked in surprise. 

“I guess so.” He managed, sounding caught off guard to even his own ears. Lust looked between the two and scoffed, going back to her magazine and decidedly no longer bothered, and her and Greed’s retreat had the rest of the Selected looking between each other as well before reluctantly dropping their own gazes. The air was still heavy and frazzled with suspicion, and a few, of course including Russell, clearly remained upset despite the topic being let go. Edward blinked again, a little bit in denial. He caught Lyra’s gaze, who immediately smiled and shot him a subtle thumbs up, and he saw Winry and Jayden, looking relieved themselves for some reason. On his other side, Riza and Jean looked up from their table for the first time since he’d walked in, giving him curious looks. Riza raised her eyebrows pointedly, Jean tilted his head like he was trying to figure something out, and Edward barely suppressed a flinch. Fuck, he had completely forgotten. 

Riza and Jean knew he was with the prince. 

They were  _ there _ when he got picked up and they knew for a fact that he was keeping it from the entire room. Yet… they never said a word. Edward was instantly awash with gratitude, but the late realization startled him. Had they wanted to ruin his credibility and make him instantly hated by the upper castes in the room, all they had to do was say what happened in the gym. No one would even care if it was true or not, as simply accusing it would be enough reason to confirm everyone’s own suspicions, and who knows what barrage of questioning that would have resulted in. The idea was enough to make Edward innerly grimace.

He shot then both a meek smile and mouthed the word ‘later’ as best he could while gesturing in a way he hoped helped. Riza understood immediately, nodding and turning back to the table. Jean lightly frowned, but then his face lit up in comprehension and Edward saw him quietly mouth ‘oh’ to himself. Edward felt his shoulders sag in relief. He didn’t deserve such understanding and patience at all, but damn was he happy for it. But then Jean wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and shot him finger guns.

Edward’s small smile fell. Okay, no, this sort of torture seemed more accurate to what he deserved.

It still felt too good to be true though, and it took Edward a moment to look down at his book without flitting his eyes upwards to check. Sure, there was the occasional Selected looking while murmuring to another, but it was nothing that he didn’t expect at the very least, which was surprising in itself. He even caught Greed  _ smiling _ at him all while keeping whatever conversation he was having with Lust, who was conversely looking displeased at whatever he was saying, and he had this look like he was considering the blond’s existence for the first time and was approving of whatever it was that he was seeing. 

Edward didn’t look up from his book again after that. 

He was overwhelmed enough as it was from the entire day’s events, so the last thing he needed was to try to figure out the thoughts behind every look or glare from Selected who never even talked to him before. Instead he decided to take advantage of, for the first time, the caste system being in his favor. He might’ve been questioned unabashedly in the first place because he was a Five, sure, but he couldn’t deny how helpful it was that everyone else followed the social expectation. As soon as Greed and Lust went back to their own things and left him alone, everyone followed suit. No one else would dare speak up after they decided something was over and done with, and although Edward never agreed with always following the social cues set by the Twos, he couldn’t deny its power proved handy. It was a relief. 

Sure enough, no one bothered him throughout the rest of the session.

Conversation had continued as if nothing had happened, although not including the few whispered gossiping on the side, and Edward even got well wishes to feel better by Rose and by the girl that sat behind him in class, who he helped out once, Samantha. It made him feel a little bad to not actually be sick, but then that feeling faded as he began to doubt his own well-being after being unable to get through a single page of an interesting book about trading relations. He couldn’t get himself to  _ focus _ . 

His thoughts kept revisiting the scene in the servant’s wing, which made him guilty, flustered, embarrassed, and conflicted all at once. What was he supposed to say to the prince after something like that, anyway? Edward wanted to throw his head on the book. Could he even look him in the eyes after something like that? Would the prince even want to see him anymore? Well, he had to give him his coat back soon for sure, and that itself was a problem, because all ideas of avoiding him forever went out the window because of it. And forget trying to find him in the halls or after a meal, because then everyone would see that he had his coat. God, if they saw him with the prince’s coat, who knows what they’d think. And he didn’t want anyone to think anything, really, because it was all his own business, dammit. But then again, why should he care? He  _ didn’t _ care. It should’ve been easier to just walk in the room and admit he was with Mustang, it should've been... but then, they’d ask for details. Just like they did with Lyra and Winry just because they weren’t Twos. And if they asked for details, he’d have to tell them that it wasn’t a real date and then explain why, or worse, he'd have to admit to pushing Mustang off a fucking boat. No, yeah, it was probably better to keep the whole thing under wraps. So then he definitely can’t try to give the coat back without risking everything, so he must  _ have to  _ avoid him forever. Wait, no; now he was back where he started.

Oh, he was so fucked.

Edward would’ve almost laughed at how ridiculous he was being if it wasn't for the fact that he still had no idea what to do about any of it. Logic and reasoning was one of his strong suits, but he couldn’t even begin to process anything in this sort of situation. He didn’t understand people well enough, heck, he never has, and times like these reminded him with a painful sting that he wished Alphonse was here. His mom was great at comforting, but only his brother had the amazing ability to somehow fix everything that Edward managed to mess up. Out of all of them, he just  _ got _ people the most. 

As if the universe had heard his pleas, Edward was abruptly torn from his thoughts as maids came in pushing carts. Usually a guard would announce that they were allowed to leave, as the session was about over, but this time a servant came to the center of the room.

“Please allow us to distribute the Selected’s mail.” She announced, slightly bowing. Edward perked up at that instantly. Fucking finally. 

“Jeez, what took so long?” Winry idly asked, mirroring Edward’s own thoughts. Like him though, she was smiling anyway. 

“We’re probably last on priority.” Jayden offered, looking excited himself. “I’m sure the castle gets a lot more important correspondents than family wishes.”

“Jerks.” Winry muttered to herself, making them laugh. The maids began passing letters to the Selected by doors first, but as opposed to only a few like Edward expected, they were getting large stacks. “Wait. Why is everyone getting so much?”

Winry and Jayden looked equally confused for a moment, but then the blonde suddenly squealed excitedly. “Oh, is it fan mail you think?”

“Fan mail?” Edward repeated, only more confused. 

Jayden had a contemplative look before nodding to himself. “That would make the most sense.” He agreed. 

“That makes no sense at all.” Edward said, half-laughing at the mildly offended look Winry shot him. “Of course it makes the most sense!” She chastised. “We’re public figures now, remember?” 

Jayden and Edward shared an exasperated groan at the same time. 

“Over my dead body.” The blond swore, amusing both Winry and Jayden in his dramatics. 

“Oh really?” She challenged, looking to her side. Edward followed her gaze and saw a maid coming to their side of the room with not one, but three stacks of letters.

“That’s not-” 

The maid stopped in front of Edward and beamed. “For you, sir.” She bowed, dropping the enormous amount of letters at his side as if it was the most normal thing in the world. 

“Ooooh,” Winry cooed, holding her face with both hands for added effect. “ _ Look who’s popular _ .” 

“ ‘Kay, fuck you.”

Jayden laughed, but he and whatever biting retort Winry had on her lips stalled as they got their own stack of letters. “I hope my aunt wrote me back!” Jayden bounced. Winry looked equally delighted as she received hers. “Oh! This one’s from Xing!”

Edward could only partially listen, his attention completely stolen with the absurdity of the size of his own pile. He started to rifle through to top, and sure enough, they were all addressed to him.  _ Edward Elric _ was written on the backs of each one, many in extravagant calligraphy and sealed with wax emblems that were definitely not from his town. It didn’t make any sense. He looked back up, and it felt like it was another poster counting moment all over again. Bias and favorites were shown clear as day in the amount of letters, and although everyone received a lot in general, many Twos obviously had the most. In fact, it seemed completely proportional to caste number this time, which made Edward’s pile size even more of a discrepancy. He scanned the room, and came to even more surprise to see that Rose had around the same amount. His eyebrows creased. It couldn’t be a mere coincidence that he and Rose, the only Fives, somehow got big enough stacks to rival the most favored Twos. Yeah, something was definitely up.

“The drawing session is over.” He heard a maid announce after all the letters had been past out. For the first time, everyone made a move to leave. Clearly, receiving letters had everyone excited to go to their rooms and read them, because for once no one looked like they were going to stay longer. 

“Would you like assistance carrying your letters, sir?” Another maid offered before Edward even had the chance to stand up. He regarded the large pile regrettably, because dammit, he would need the help getting all of them to his room in one go. “Um, sure. Thanks.”

“Of course, sir.” She nodded. 

Winry was already headed to the door, enthusiastically waving to him. “See you guys at dinner!” 

“Later!” Jayde returned, and Edward could only offer a withering smile at them both as he hefted half of his stack up from the chair. It was a relief to be able to go to his room, but a dreadful reminder all the same that the day still wasn’t over. 

“Thank you so much.” He sighed, putting the stack down on his desk once they got to the dorm. Thanks to the short distance, they didn’t even have to pick up any fallen mail and managed to keep it all upright even while going up the small stairs. The maid followed suit and beamed. “Good day, sir.” She bowed.

“You too.”

She left, and Edward belatedly noticed that he was actually alone now. Mei and the others were nowhere to be seen, which was generally a rare occurrence unless it was after dinner. He wasn’t too worried about it though, as Mei had mentioned before that they sometimes had meetings to attend of their own or places to fill in for when the castle needed the extra hands. Edward sat down hesitantly, staring at the letters for a moment before reaching out for the first one. He turned it over and noticed the way his name was penned as if he was an intimate friend to this person and not a complete stranger, which already bothered him. He regarded it cautiously for another second, idly rubbing his fingers over the seal. Even the fucking wax was the fanciest shit he’s ever seen, the crest elaborate and texture smooth as opposed to the rough dry ones he occasionally got a hold of from party gig invitations. It flipped open effortlessly, and the glossy paper slid out easily onto the desk. Edward unfolded it slowly, not surprised to find the writing in equally extravagant calligraphy. He squinted as he tried to make out the -probably pompous- words.

_ Dear Edward, _

_ I am Lord Erick Von Aeir of the Grastrier house. Perhaps you’ve heard of my family name before as one of the most influential politicians in Amestris? It’s quite alright if you haven’t, as I wouldn’t want to pressure you anymore than I’m sure this competition already has. A beautiful creature such as yourself shouldn’t have to deal with such nonsensical stress. I can understand that the whiplash you may experience may be difficult considering the grand castle lifestyle you’ve been forced to acclimate to may also be stripped from you just as suddenly. I can assure you, however, that a life with me and my estate is by no means less than grand, nor less than what you deserve. I am more than willing to overlook your unfortunate case of being a Five and- _

Edward couldn’t bear to read anymore.

Disgust and anger coursed through him as the impending realization finally sank in. This was why he and Rose got the most letters. They weren’t fan mail. They were marriage proposals.

Marriage proposals from those eager to snatch their own Selected candidate as soon as possible, and from those assuming that he and Rose were going to be the next ones to go. It was completely presumptuous and insulting and so fucking demeaning that Edward was half temped to tear the letter up on the spot. 

Instead he flung it to the side, grabbing another letter off the top and quickly scanning the contents. His scowl deepened. 

_...I wouldn’t want to see you on the streets, so I implore you to consider my offer… _

Edward threw it aside and just as quickly ripped open another. He couldn’t believe it. They were all the same. He went through another and another, each one faster than the last as affronting sentences instantly caught his attention and stuck out to him like piercing blades. 

_...I can promise you a fulfilling and comfortable life… _

_...My riches will be more than satisfying for you… _

_...I only ask for company in bed, and anything you want will be yours… _

_...What I offer is more than what any normal Five could ever wish to gain… _

_...I will pay handsomely, and I will spoil you far more than the prince ever could... _

Edward felt like he was going to be sick for real now.

What in the actual fuck was wrong with all of these people? He knew Twos were entitled, but this was to a degree that even he hadn’t expected, and the realization made him suddenly far more terrified than he’s ever been before at the prospect of losing the Selection.  _ That _ was all waiting outside for him. 

Twos expecting him to jump into their arms just because they were rich and not a Five. Twos who wanted to use him as arm candy and brag that they got a coveted Selected. Twos that didn’t even consider the fact that maybe he’d want to fucking go back to his family?! Edward's hands shook as he threw yet another one to the side. He wasn’t even scarcely through the first pile, yet already he was revolted and horrified enough to feel sick to his stomach.

“Fuckers!” He seethed, standing up. “Goddamn fucking patronizing asshole son of bitches conceited mother fucking dicks shit-eating supercilious fuckers!” He hurled the entire pile off his desk and kicked it after it settled on the floor for good measure. Letters scattered like petals brisked apart by wind, settling back on the floor quietly as if its contents weren’t scathing enough to burn. Edward stood in the middle of the wreckage, out of breath, but his anger drained away instantly as his eyes saw a letter that was caught underneath his foot. 

His name was in cursive, but it was the simple and neat kind that he’s grown familiar with over grocery lists and house notes and gig addresses; it was his mom’s. He bent down slowly to pick it up, but he crumpled to the floor instead as soon as he got a hold of it. It was thicker than the rest, seal-less, and when he opened it, two separate letters came out instead of one. Trisha’s was in the front, the same handwriting painting the page. 

_ My son,  _

_ I already miss you dearly, especially in knowing that I won’t see you for long. You should have more faith in yourself, dear, as by the time Alphonse and I received your letter, you’ve already lasted longer than nearly one-third of the competition. I hope you know how proud I am of you. Regardless of how long you last, it makes me happy to know that you’re being treated well and being taken care of better than I could ever manage. Don’t worry about us so much either. Alphonse and I are being offered too many gigs to even keep up with just from your brief publicity at the welcome parade that aired. I’m keeping my schedule clear every Friday though, mind you. I can’t wait to see you again, but until then, I’ll settle with watching you on the Central Report. Please know that I think of you everyday, Edward.  _

_ Love,  _

_ Your mother. _

_ P.S. Oh, and how is the prince? Is he as handsome in real life as he looks on television? _

Edward couldn’t help the pained laugh that escaped from his throat. He could hear her teasing voice as if she was reading the words to him herself, and the feeling of her voice fading as he finished reading left a heavy ache in his chest. Still smiling despite it, he unfolded the next one, recognizing Alphonse’s equally neat print. The words bordered the edge of the page near the bottom as if he hadn’t expected to write as much as he did, and realized half-way through that it wasn’t gonna fit if he kept going as spaced out as he started. The image of his brother writing on and not even considering to just get another paper made Edward’s grin widen.

_ Dear Brother, _

_ I saw you on TV! You looked so uncomfortable though, haha. Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone else was able to tell. Your poker face is surprisingly better than I thought, I have to give you that. Also there is NO way I’m letting you off the hook with only mentioning the prince in your footnote! What do you mean he’s not THAT bad? Are you making the worst assumptions about people again, brother? You know that sort of stuff is what makes you prickly and intimidating to others, right? Anyway, I expect a detailed report on every interaction you’ve had with him so far. I’m serious. Knowing you, you probably already did something that may or may not have possibly been a major mess up. Probably. You have a tendency to leave the situation if it’s making you uncomfortable at all, and I’m going to assume that threshold is pretty low considering that time you left me alone to talk to Mrs.Thomas after all she asked was whether or not we had girlfriends yet. Seriously brother, your excuse of having to ‘go check on the microwave’ was the lamest thing I’ve ever heard. Just remember to try to not run away so much, yeah? Oh my bad, “not dealing with bullshit” I mean, as you call it. (That’s still totally running away though.) I’m sure you’ll manage fine anyway though. I mean, the prince clearly likes you to some degree if he didn’t eliminate you on the first day. Don’t lie to yourself either, Ed, and don’t think that you’re still there for any other reason. As long as you’re in the castle, it means that HE LIKES YOU. You’re kinda dumb sometimes, you know that? I have a compulsive need to explain this to you for some reason, and whatever reason it is is probably a good one. You probably need to hear this. Also there’s been a few news articles over the Selection already and I’m cutting out and saving every paragraph and picture about you and framing them around the house and you can’t stop me! Oh, and how’s the food over there? Some of the desserts they showcased on TV looked so good that I wanted to cry. (they had a whole dumb documentary episode yesterday on ‘Castle Living’ so that the audience could ‘experience’ what it’s like to be in the Selected. It was formatted like a resort commercial, haha. Is it true you guys are getting horse riding lessons and having breakfast AND dinner with the royal family? What the heck, you only talked about gardens and paintings and of course you would ignore the more exciting things, why am I surprised?) In all seriousness though, I know it’s a lot harder to go through this than what they make it look like, but still, make sure to have fun, brother! See this as an opportunity instead of a hassle and try new things and stuff, yeah? Expecting a letter soon with your detailed reports. Don’t come back home anytime soon, I mean it! _

_ Love, _

_ Alphonse. _

Edward couldn’t even bring it in himself to feel properly called out or attacked, as just hearing Alphonse’s voice had him grinning ear to ear. The warm feeling washed away as soon as it flooded in, however, as the room suddenly felt unbearably quiet. He looked on the back of the pages, hoping for another note or even a margin doodle, the words from his family simultaneously being too much and not nearly enough at once. His smile withered and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and covering his face with the papers. He clutched them to himself as if holding onto them tight enough would will them into appearing in front of him. God, he missed them so much. It had barely been, what? Four days and a half? It already felt like weeks. Even his longest streak of missing the both of them at home from their different schedule of gigs never had him feeling so lonely. Back then he had notes on the fridge or on the counter wishing him a good day, telling him when they’d be back, reminding him to eat, and proof of them being in the same spot only mere hours before from the new half-written music on the table and their shoes he last saw them in being lined by the door, two other pairs now missing. 

Even with their letters, in comparison, this felt completely  _ isolating _ . 

Edward didn’t know how long he sat there in the middle of a mess of letters with a paper to his face, but all too soon he heard the door open. He looked up and saw Mei and the maids coming in. 

“Oh…” She breathed, walking in and seeing the clutter. “Do I want to ask?”

Edward quickly got up, dusting himself off and feigning his best ‘this-is-fine’ smile. “No, sorry. I’ll clean it up.”

Jasmine and Claudia went strangely quiet, and even Mei’s constant teasing mirth was gone. 

“Marriage proposals, right?” She asked.

Edward looked back down at the disarray of letters, briefly remembering the sheer amount of difficult emotions they had elicited. He laughed, but it was dry. “Yeah, actually. Crazy how many, right?”

He bent down to start picking them up, but Mei was placing a hand on his shoulder before he could even notice her walking over the distance. She beamed. “We came in to tell you dinner is ready.”

“Oh... yeah. Um, just give me a sec-”

“We were part of the cooking team today, you won’t want to miss it.”

Edward opened his mouth, about to protest again. He didn’t want to leave his maids with the mess he made, but Mei openly scowled before he could even say a word.

“Go have dinner.” 

All her usual no-nonsense demeanor was back in full force, and dammit, it was hard to argue with her when she was like that. Not to mention that being late without a good excuse was kinda against castle policy.

“Fine.” Edward sighed, straightening. He pointedly put his mother’s and Al’s letter in the drawer of the desk. “But you guys better not clean this up. I’ll do it when I get back.”

“Yes, sir.” She slurred, looking smug in her victory. 

“I’m serious.”

She mocked saluted, making Claudia and Jasmine laugh. Edward scoffed and evidently failed in stopping his own lips from quirking up. 

“See you guys later then.”

“Yeah, yeah. Bye!” She cooed, shooing him away.

Edward waved back anyway, laughing when he caught Claudia in the background experimentally trying to kick a pile of letters like they were autumn leaves. Their antics never failed to  _ not _ surprise him. 

His smile lasted just up until he closed the door.

\---

Edward got back from dinner looking just as exhausted as he felt, so when he saw the floor spotless, he didn’t even have the energy to be mad. He had already spent all of it forcing himself to not even _look_ in Mustang's general direction during the entirety dinner, after all.

“Mei,” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I thought I said that I would clean it up?”

She grinned innocently and hopped down from the bed where her and the maids were playing cards again. “You did.” She affirmed.

“Then why did you clean it?”

“Because I do what I want to.”

Edward could help the exasperated laugh. “Really? I’ve never noticed.”

Mei nodded, ignoring his sarcasm, and too late the blond realized that Jasmine and Claudia were leaving the room as following a cue. 

“What do you have planned?” He immediately accused, his smile turning strained. Mei’s expression didn’t change as she merely pointed to the desk. 

“Sit.”

“Why would I- Hey!”

She pushed him by the shoulders, surprisingly way too strong for a girl her size, and pushed him down into the seat. She took a paper out of her pocket and waved it in front of him, a hand on her hip. It was a letter.

“Read this.” She said, offering it to him. Edward’s meek amusement completely fell at that, and he stared at it before looking back up to the maid. “Mei, I know you’re pushy, but I’m not going to read any more letters if they’re not from my family. And, wait a minute- did you _ read them _ without even asking-?!”

She just waved it in his face again, cutting him off.

“ _ Read it _ .” 

“I’m  _ not _ going to-”

She slammed it on his desk and eyed him down. Edward returned her glare. It lasted a grand total of 6 seconds before he sighed in defeat, realizing any argument with her was really a lost cause.

“Fine, fine. I’ll fucking read it.”

“Thank you.” She beamed again, walking out before Edward could change his mind. Curse her. 

The blond frowned at the envelope, but it immediately shifted to confusion as he took in the address. It was scrawled messily, and was in thick pencil instead of pen. He turned it around, finding no seal, and opened it to find the paper in a similar state, the writing lopsided and uneven and full of scratched out texts as if there wasn’t an eraser nearby. 

_ Dear Mister Edward Elric, Sir, _

_ My name is August. I’m sorry if my writing is not that well. I had to leave school last year to work in the fields because I am a Six. I am supposed to be in 8th grade though, I think. My mom named me August because it’s the last month of summer and she says that my hair was touched by the sun. It is gold like yours! I do not have your skin, but I got very happy to see you on the TV in the town square because now I can tell my friends I am not the only one with this hair. They make fun of me because they all have white or brown hair. Most Sixes do. My mom likes you a lot too because she says you’re a Five, which makes you our friend. Is that true? She says lower castes stick together and that things could be better for us if you win. I don’t understand politics that well, but I think she’s right. Will you please win Mister Edward, sir? It’s not much, but I tell everyone I see about you. Even though they look different, most of my friends like you too. We all cheer when you and Miss Rose come on screen. They all helped me find enough coins to buy a stamp for this letter. Oh, and they all say 'hi'! We don’t have much free time though, so I’m sorry if I miss a Central Report! I will try not to. I am very excited to see you speak on it this Friday. Thank you for being in the Selection, sir. _

_ Best wishes, _

_ August.  _

The type of ache in Edward’s chest this time was of a whole different caliber. He put the letter down and put his head in his hands, overwhelmed. To say the least, he was grateful for the maids walking out when they did. He was even more grateful for Mei. The next morning, when he gave her the reply letters he wanted to send to his mother and Alphonse, she only smiled and obliged.

If she noticed the third one addressed to a little boy in the slums, she didn’t say anything. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ed: I'm not sick but I think I caught something  
> Me *with a megaphone*: iT's CaLLeD cATcHiNG F E E L S
> 
> But honestly guys, this was an oof chapter. I'm sorry, but it's gonna get worse before it gets better ;v; Also bittersweet ending kinda helps?? No? Yeah, that's fair, August made me sad too.  
> On a happier note, I'm really excited for the next few chapters because things are gonna go DOWN on Friday (Wednesday just ended in this chap so now it's Thursday). It's the first Central Report with the Selected and much more will happen before and after. There will be one really heavy moment though, but for the most part, it's mainly intense plot progression! Our Roy boy will definitely be there! I feel bad when I can't fit him in a chapter, but realistically, experiencing a Selection and being only one out of 20+ other people would leave you kinda by yourself for most of it, oof.  
> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though! Please stay safe!


	13. New Perspectives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward was trying to not give into the urge to jump out of the nearest window. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! :D   
> Guys, I'm so sorry for this long wait, I think this is the longest between chapters in this entire fic's life, and I cannot put into words how grateful I am to those who have patiently waited. ;v; Real life has been waCk but this story is my favorite thing ever so please know that I'd never abandon it!   
> Going forward, I cannot guarantee how busy/not busy I will be, but I will work hard to keep my goal of one chapter per week (haha, really blew it with this chapter clearly big oof). This chapter in particular is hopefully an anomaly though because the writing was a lot more tedious than usual. For instance, I had no idea where to cut it- so I didn't- and this is 25 pages! Also there are 12 pages of completely REMOVED stuff, which is insane because I've never deleted an entire scene before, so that was a big oof and dent in finishing this. Also I have all the major plot points in my head, but for the most part I make a lot up as I go and that aspect really bit me in the ass this time around unfortunately. As the writer, these are all my responsibility, so I will do my best to not run into the same problems that I did with this chapter in future installments!   
> On a brighter note! Regardless of the process issues, this chapter achieves the goal of setting up the next few p l o t points so hopefully things will pick up real soon ;))) Also the beginning might have some ~school vibes~ and for that I am so sorry, online school has infected my mindset xD However there is another big oof moment in this chapter- I edited tags I good while ago but this kind of stuff is why I added 'mature themes overall tbh' so please beware! The specifics of each oof moment of the particular chapter will be listed right below c:  
> I hope you all enjoy this BIG CHUNGUS chap! <3
> 
> WARNING PLEASE READ: This chapter contains reference to physical abuse
> 
> (it's not marked as to not interrupt flow, but if you have concerns please feel free to drop a comment and I can specify things <3 stay safe)

When Edward walked to class that Thursday morning, the desks were empty.

He wasn’t the only one that stopped in his tracks, and many fellow Selected paused and hesitated for a strange moment. Slowly, everyone began to sit down, and Edward and Jean shared a curious look as they did the same. 

The desks had never been empty before. 

Izumi was always too on top of her lesson plan to not have something set up for them to do within the first 10 seconds of entering, whether that be plates or textbooks or embroidery pillows. Edward secretly hoped, just a little, that maybe that meant that today was going to be an easy day. Maybe just listen to a lecture, or watch a video, or something  _ -anything- _ that didn’t involve the stressful endeavor that was Izumi over his shoulder with a timer. 

“Alright,” Izumi began, like always, forgoing any niceties, “You all are being assigned to make a presentation.”

Edward hated himself for hoping for anything good at all. 

The entire class groaned, and, for the first time, it was actually reminiscent of being in real school. Even the Twos dropped their indifferent acts and everyone forgot for a split moment that they were all adults. All the more terrifying.

Izumi was not impressed.

“It’s been nearly an entire week since you have all participated in the Selection, yet most of you have yet to speak a word to the rest of the room. Most of the groups I see are distinguishable by caste, and I want all prior ideals and customs of such to cease. Your original caste does not mean a thing here. You are all equals in being potentially the next ruler of Amestris.” She spoke, hands behind her back. “What you all fail to realize as of yet, is that this room is full of the only people in the entire world who will understand you. Who will actually know what you went through. You will all face the same challenges while in this competition, and there is  _ nothing _ like it. The scrutiny of the media and mass attention will be a new sensation to even the most popular celebrity, the workload of diplomacy and civics could rival the hours of the hardest working laborer, the sheer amount of stress and hardship you will all experience together is purely unique to the Selection and to the Selection alone.”

The class was quiet.

“What you all lack to see is how you could be making lifetime friendships, rather than enemies, and how the proceeding months you will all spend together will transcend caste and background.”

Edward had to suppress a wince at her words.  _ Months _ ? That sounded so impossible and far off, but he knew that it’s happened before and was even likely- if he somehow managed to last. On average, The Selection has been known to last around half a year, with 3 weeks being the infamous fastest in history and 2 years being the longest. Honestly, Edward was as equally likely to go home tomorrow or go home exactly a year from now. Despite the logic behind it, it was a pretty fucking dreadful to consider such a thing, so he shook the thoughts from his mind as Izumi continued.

“At the very least, you should take an effort to know the name of the person who sits in front of you, a row over, to your side, behind you, and so on. You might be surprised by how long you might end up stuck with someone whom you don’t even speak to now. Thus, I want everyone here to make a personal presentation for the class, 2 to 4 minutes long. I want you to state your name, age -any standard introductory information- what you did for a living, and provide  _ examples _ . I want pictures, video, demonstration, anecdotes, or any other medium that you would require. Any method of presentation is acceptable, as long as you fulfill the required information and time constraints. The more creative, the better.”

Edward dwelled on that for a moment. So... basically an ice breaker with extra steps? A hell lot of steps, actually, from the sound of it.

Fuck-tastic. 

He wanted to grimace, but Izumi was watching the room closely, so he didn’t. Most Selected looked like they were still processing the assignment, a few looked completely devastated, and others looked excited for some god-forsaken reason. 

“I will pass down a detailed rubric for my grading criteria. Like I’ve stated, you are free to use any presentation method, so it’s rather lenient. I will also be passing down order forms for anything you’ll need. If you’ll need a projector and white board for a powerpoint, say so. Whatever you’ll need to showcase how you’ve  _ earned _ your living before becoming part of The Selection, we can get it for you. Regardless of caste, that is something each and every one of you should take  _ pride _ in, and it’ll serve well to have for your peers learn a little more about you.”

She passed down the papers as she said that, and Edward took them in his hands with apprehension. 

“We will be in another, larger room for the presentations -it’s listed on your rubric- and you have all morning today to prepare something. If you need access to a computer, ask a guard and he will escort you to the labs. If you’d like to go to your dorm and work on the project there, that’s fine. The library and any other public places is acceptable as well. I will be in my office if needed, and I expect order forms no later than noon. Presentations will be  _ tomorrow _ morning, Friday. Report to the other room at the usual class time. Questions?”

Deathly silence preceded Izumi’s words. Edward was usually good at figuring out an assignment, but that was an information dump even for him. Despite the clear confusion and lost expressions some Selected wore, including Jean, no one said anything.

“Perfect.” Izumi nodded, her small smile not looking friendly in the slightest. “I look forward to learning more about you all.” 

Then, she just... walked out. She just fucking left. 

The room was silent for another moment as everyone belatedly realized the simultaneous freedom and responsibility they’d been given all at once. The responsibility weighed far greater, however- all chaos broke loose.

Conversation erupted like the rushing waters of a dam breaking free, everyone in panic as they turned to their friends to ask what the hell they were supposed to be doing. Izumi had never left them on their own before, and despite her strict methods, she had thoroughly gone over every topic, provided examples, explained each nuisance, and directed and corrected any doubts on the subject. She had babied them in that way.  _ This _ , on the other hand, was a completely different story. This was the same thing as not knowing how to swim, and the instructor just fucking throwing you in the deep end. 

You’ll learn and figure it out if you didn’t want to die.

“Edward, what are you going to do for your presentation?” Jean immediately asked, pivoting to face him. The younger blond couldn’t help but guffaw and shake his head. “Why’re you asking me? You should be asking Hawkeye- she’s the one that’s in the military like you.”

Jean didn’t even hesitate to whirl in his chair to face her. “Riza!” He pleaded. She didn’t even look over her shoulder to face the boys, her eyes on the papers in front of her. “No, Jean.” 

He sighed defeatedly in turn. “I knew she was gonna say that.”

Edward hummed idly, scanning his own rubric. Like he suspected, reading the actual laid out instructions had everything making a lot more sense. The freedom of presentation method made it easy, actually, and it was just the initial overload of information that made it sound harder than it really was. 

“Hey, don’t go ignoring me yet!” Jean bemoaned, nudging Edward’s shoulder. “I need help.”

The blond had to suppress a laugh from the statement vehemently reminding him of those kids in school that ‘wouldn’t get it’ because they never bothered to even try reading the damn instructions. 

“Look, Jean.” He leaned across the aisle to show the older blond where he was pointing on the paper better. “It’s literally just introducing yourself, and then talking about your job. You could do it however you want. You could even just walk up there and talk for 2 minutes.”

Jean stared for a long moment, scratching the back of his head. “Okay… Um, but I have a feeling that just going up and winging it might not get me the best grade.”

Edward snickered and nodded. “Yeah, probably. But that’s your problem.  _ I’m _ already done.”

The older blond blinked and raised his eyebrows. “You already know what you’re going to be doing?”

“I’m a Five.” He grinned, shrugging. “Just gotta say my name and then just play one of my performance pieces.”

“You sly fox... you have it easy.” Jean accused, leaning back with an elbow with an amused smirk. “I shoulda expected that you’d figure this out pretty quick though. What about you, Riza? Don’t tell me you got it all figured out too.”

The blonde in question curtly stood from her seat and turned to give the two men a small smile. “Well, as a matter of fact, I have.” She nodded. “I’ll be headed to the labs if you need me.”

“The labs? What are you gonna use a computer for??” Jean puzzled, sitting up straight. Riza was already headed to the doorway where the closest guard was and only gave him a wave, not bothering to respond. A few other Selected were starting to get up too. 

Some seemed to have the same idea, a small group already congregating by the guard to be escorted, and others were moving desks closer to work together on the project. He could spot even fewer, including Ling, who seemed to be conversing idly, not even concerning themselves yet with the task.    
Edward stood. 

“Hey, you’re not leaving me too, right?”

The younger blond shot Jean a helpless smile, rifling his pockets for a pencil he knew he had somewhere in there. “Well, I don’t need to stay here.” He reasoned, grinning in the small victory of finding it. “And I should probably just finish and turn in my order form.”

It was a no-brainer, really. Just memorize the short list of required introduction information, and then just do one song as if it was a gig. Technically, ‘presenting’ and ‘performing’ were synonymous in his case, so he just had to pretend it was another job as opposed to a school project. It should be one of his more formal gig openers for sure, because there was no way he was doing any party songs when the whole class would be forced to just sit and watch. The whole reason those even worked was because of the band and the hype and the dancing and the fact that the crowd did half the work by singing or clapping along. Yeah, something more formal instead for sure. 

Edward had a plethora of waltzes and overtures memorized for occasions such as weddings or ceremonies, so it wasn’t too difficult to narrow it down to a few pieces he could perform solo. He only had to deliberate for a brief moment before he began to write.

“What are you ordering?”

Edward filled in the form with quick effortless scribbles. He smiled, knowing what song he’d like to play.

“Just a harp.” 

* * *

Edward should’ve been more grateful for the free morning.

Well, he was, and there really wasn’t anything better than spending a long session alone in the library with no one to bother him for hours on end, but that still didn’t undermine the large wash of regret that seeped into his bones at the white marble and title scene that lay before him. The large room was lined with mirrors and lavish leather spinning chairs with another row of massage recliners in the back, and little fountains of water and lily decorations were tastefully sprinkled about. 

It was a fucking spa. 

Edward remembered seeing it when exploring the floors with Riza and Jean, but it looked entirely different now. There were way more chairs, for starters, and there was a little section separated with propped up sheer curtains that had a circle of couches and a coffee bar that had  _ definitely _ not been there before. Alex sat at the helm, but he was quickly on his feet and bounding to take the center of the room, arms splayed wide.

“Welcome, welcome!” He chimed, grinning. “Are you all ready for your TV makeovers?”

When all of the Selected had been called to convene after lunch, Edward had  _ not _ expected that it’d be for this.

Maybe he should’ve. The chime of the bell that sounded beforehand had nearly scared the blond off of his window-seat, and he had to take a long jarring moment to remember what the ringing meant. The introduction papers had mentioned it’d be used to call the Selected to the drawing room if it was for an unspecified occasion that wasn’t on the schedule, and, sure enough, when Edward had begrudgingly left the library to make his way over, others were trickling in looking just as unsure and confused about what was happening. He had quickly located Winry and Jayden standing by the foyer, and they all shared equally perplexed looks when a castle worker announced that they needed to follow her down the hall. 

The day had started off weird enough as it was, Izumi giving them the morning off of class and assigning them an entire project to figure out on their own, and the unease in the air was palpable as the normal routine was once again disturbed. All of that trepidation alleviated, however, as soon they were herded into the spa room. Now it was replaced with sheer unadulterated excitement, and Edward didn’t miss the way Winry’s eyes fucking _ lit up  _ beside him. 

God, he should’ve known. 

He should’ve figured it out as soon as he was able to fully relax for the first time in the quiet morning in the library because  _ of course  _ there’d be a catch for that kind of enjoyment. Of course he couldn’t really have a single day to himself for once. Edward was starting to regret listening to that damn bell- maybe if he had ignored it, he would’ve still been swaddled between cushions and pillows and warm glass with a book in his lap. 

If only. 

Alex beamed at the -mostly- positive reception and put his hands behind his back. 

“As you’re all aware, you will partake in the Central Report tomorrow, so it’s the responsibility of this talented team here-”

He gestured to his side, where a line of servants Edward hadn’t seen before stood in line and curtsied. They had the same coloring of a maid’s uniform, but they wore skirts instead of slacks and black aprons that all looked brimming from the pockets with scissors and clips. 

“-to have you all look TV ready for the occasion!” Alex clapped his hands together as if the notion thrilled him. “Now, if you could all get in a line for me. I’d like to meet you all one-on-one, as well as properly evaluate the best way to make you the most stunning as possible!”

Edward nearly lost his footing with how fast everyone shifted around him to rush into something vaguely passable as a line. Jayden ended up behind him and Winry suspiciously in front despite being by the redhead’s side mere seconds ago. Edward pretended to not notice.

“Well this is a pleasant surprise.” She smiled, twirling around to face the boys.

“Pleasant?” Edward wrinkled his nose. 

Winry just laughed. “Of course you’d think otherwise.”

Edward noticed from the corner of his eye the first Selected in line, a girl with blonde hair so platinum it was nearly white, sitting down with Alex, and he dreadfully realized that he was only a few people down. How he managed to be near the front of this mess, he didn’t know.

“Makeovers, Winry,” Edward scoffed, “There going to give us fucking makeovers. Had I known, I wouldn’t have showed up.”

Winry looked to the ceiling. “It’s not involving actual makeup or anything, Ed. It’s just a little pampering.” 

“To be honest,” Jayden sighed, “I could use the stress relief. Especially after the project this morning...”

“Right?” Winry beamed. 

“You both make me wanna barf.”

“Oh, boo woo,” She put a hand to her heart to emphasize her sarcasm. 

Edward wasn’t impressed. 

“Oh! I’m already up. I’ll see you guys at dinner, okay?” Winry said. 

Edward and Jayden both returned the sentiment and shuffled along to fill the empty space. The line was moving pretty fast, and that did little to ease the blond’s apprehension to the whole thing. 

“Is this…” The blond started, struggling to find the words. He gestured in front of himself vaguely. “...Normal?”

Jayden titled his head. 

“I mean,” Edward amended, “Is this whole... spa and salon kind of stuff like, common? You’ve done this before?”

Understanding flitted across the redhead’s face, which then gave way to something strangely rueful. “Good grooming has always been emphasized in my family… so I wouldn’t know if it’s necessarily  _ normal _ . I think it isn’t uncommon either though. A lot of people- er, Threes at least- like to have a scheduled appointment every once and a while to maintain their appearance and such.”

“Ah,” Edward noncommently hummed. He wasn’t a complete stranger to the whole concept, his mom had sometimes hired someone to help her with her hair for very special gigs, but the idea that many people indulged in it just for  _ themselves _ had completely flown over his head. He couldn’t even think of a single time when he put any effort in his looks that  _ wasn’t _ for someone else. That wasn’t for a client to not notice that he only owned one set of the same 5 dress shirts; that wasn’t for an upper caste to not notice that he had gone from one late night gig straight to another and had clumsily used Trisha’s concealer to hide the eye bags; that wasn’t for bar managers to not kick him out for showing up in the rumpled clothes that he had no choice to sleep in because they couldn’t scrounge enough change for the laundromat again.

Edward didn’t know how this sudden acknowledgement of deprivation made him feel, and he thankfully didn’t get too long to ponder on it, anyway. Jayden tapped his shoulder. 

“Win finished.” He nodded towards the couch. 

“Oh yeah… thanks.”

Jayden gave him a reassuring smile, and that was enough to make it easier for Edward to force one of his own when approaching Alex. He opened his mouth to speak, but the man beat him to it before he could get out a single word.

“Hello! Hello!” Alex grinned. “Please, have a seat. Edward, right? Fine name, my boy, what a fine name. You’re a Five, correct? I understand a lot of this castle living can be very new, so if you have any questions- any questions at all- don’t be afraid to ask, alright? I have a few questions I need to ask  _ you,  _ however- no need for such a face, my boy. Just yes or no questions, nothing complicated!” Alex chuckled as he pulled a clipboard closer to himself. 

Now it made sense why the line had been going so fast. The Central Report host was definitely an eccentric man, but he’d always been so at ease and always enunciated his words at a casual pace on TV. Now it was as if that was just a ploy to be coherent to the masses, because the way he was speeding through sentences now had Edward’s brain sputtering to keep up.

“O-okay…”

“First I’m going to ask if there are any personal requests. Do you want any specialized skin care?”

Edward made a face. The hell did that even mean?

“No, I’m good-”

“Tans?”

The blond snorted. They might as well have asked if he wanted his hair dyed blond. “Definitely not.”

“Any specialized massages?”

“Nah.”

“Acupuncture?”

“Um, I’ll pass.”

“Eyelash extensions?”

“No…?”

“Acrylics? Fillings?”

Edward stared at him like he wasn’t even speaking English, which might as well be the case. There were two servants standing next to Alex that watched over his shoulder as he went down the list, and the one on the left was actually writing Edward’s answers down on some form. Her steady hand paused on the page and the other one beside her giggled as all 3 of them managed to immediately tell what his silence was about. To be fair, Alex’s smile somehow didn't come off as condescending. He lifted a hand and waved it.

“Fake nails.” He explained.

Edward had to fight the blossoming blood on his face. 

“What? No-”

“Hair extensions, bleachings, dyeings, perms, straightenings, or any hair cuts?”

“Er, no thanks... To all of those.”   
“Great!” Alex looked up from the papers and put them aside. “Now we can get to the part that my talents were brought in to do. Could you do me a favor and stand up for me?”

Edward was feeling greatly unnerved, but stood regardless. For the first time, Alex was looking at him like he was actually  _ seeing _ him. It wasn’t the polite blankness that was there before anymore. It wasn’t the blind sight that the blond recognized from every customer service worker he’s seen in his entire life- the same kind face of someone that’d ring up his items and say ‘have a nice day’ but wouldn’t remember his face because they were too caught up in their methodical job to even look up from the register. 

That previous expression had, however, completely left.

Now Alex’s gaze swept up and down, and he stood up himself to get closer to the blond, circling him. Edward mentally applauded himself for not visibly tensing. 

“Ah, I see… I see.” He said to himself, “Really good bone structure. Jawline is strong and shoulders are broad, yet simultaneously elegant enough to rival a woman's… you got a nice balance… hmm, a little on the thinner side, but-oh! Edward, my boy, could you tighten the sides of your shirt for a moment?” 

Edward was trying to not give into the urge to jump out of the nearest window. 

“Er,” He looked down and pulled the fabric back so that it clung to his stomach. “Like this?”

There was an audible gasp from the same girl who had giggled earlier and the one that was writing paused to stare.

“Why…” Alex breathed, the growing elation on his face not helping Edward’s flush in the slightest. 

“What?” 

He dismissively waved his hand, and at first the blond thought it was to brush off his question, but it proved to be otherwise when the girl snapped back to writing something down quickly as if there was a scientific breakthrough in need of urgent recording instead of a simple flip of a hand. Alex looked back to the both of them.

“A vest would do it, you suppose?”

“Certainly- already noted.”   
He turned back to Edward and smiled reassuringly. “You may not like this, but this examination is also determining your required dress code for Central Reports. We want everyone to look their best, so my professional judgement will coordinate you all to look equally dashing.”

“Yeah…?” Edward wasn’t sure if he actually despised the sentiment or was appreciative of the whole equality part.

“Specific instructions will be given to you after, so don’t worry about it now.” Alex said, stepping back and putting a finger to his chin. He regarded him for another moment. “Do you always wear your hair up?”

Edward had to repress outright frowning. “Yes.” He straightened, managing to not sound completely defensive. 

“Could you put it down for a second? Actually, you’ll need it down for the rest of the session anyway, so it’d probably be best.”

“I… er,” Edward hated how he had no way to really fight this guy on anything, but,  _ hell _ , he’d be a dick to make it difficult for Alex and to hold up the line over something stupid.

This whole thing was stupid.

He let the ribbon fall and this time both girls blatantly ‘oooh’ed. Edward had to bite down the jab to ask whether it was appropriate for them to clearly ogle instead of doing their jobs, but the reminder that they were Sixes made his anger sink just as fast as it came. 

Logically, he knew. He knew he was insecure and he knew that he spent most of his life pretending not to care how he looked. But it was hard when his mother and brother were just so fucking  _ beautiful _ and had the same wheat tinge to their hair and curve to their lashes and soft eyes and gentle features. Edward had none of those things when he looked in the mirror.

Instead, he had the face of fucking Von Hohenheim. 

Regardless, he couldn’t take that pent up bitterness out on these girls. Even if one of them was giggling for no apparent reason and even if the other was writing so hastily that the sound grated Edward’s ears like nails, they didn’t deserve that side of him. 

Alphonse would probably be sighing and rolling his eyes at him if he was there. He’d probably say  _ ‘You need to stop assuming everyone is out to get you, brother. Not everything people do is an attack against you, there’s no need to get so snappy at them.’ _ for the umpteenth time. Or, at least, something like that. 

Edward took a deep breath.

It proved to be a good call in preparing for the onslaught that was Alex taking pieces of his hair without warning. The blond somehow only flinched once.

“Oh, something half-up and half- down would work nicely… ah, but-”

Edward remembered Mei mentioning something like that too. Maybe he should give up on all preconceived notions that are self-image and personal style and just let her dress him up for the rest of the Selection. At least then he wouldn’t have to worry about it. 

Alex kept moving parts of his hair around -it was gentle enough for Edward to barely feel it, thankfully- and must have been looking to the girls every now and then, because each time he paused with the hair in a different position, there’d be vigorous nods of affirmation from both of them.

“It works quite well with everything, doesn’t it?” Alex awed, stepping back again. “I suppose your style of hair could be left up to you; it looks stunning either way.”

“Um,” Edward self-consciously brought all of his hair over one side of his shoulder so it wouldn’t be a sweeping mess on his back. “Thanks?”

If the girls fucking swooned, he avidly looked the other way and didn’t see a thing.

“Emma,” Alex started. The one with the pen paused and looked up, clearly the recipient of the name. 

“Request for all of the extra hair treatments and get in a trim on his form. It’s already there for the most part, but specify for a ‘V-shape’ as well.” He must have immediately noticed the look on the blond’s face, because he quickly beamed and waved his hands. “Don’t look so startled, my boy. I assure you this is nothing extreme- I’m only going to have you get some extra attention on those locks of yours. After all, my entire purpose being here is to make sure everyone’s absolute best features are made to stand out.”

Edward couldn’t help but wrinkled his nose at the prospect of his mop of hair being anything other than an annoying knot of tangles. He swallowed and tried to drag down the probably-rude-expression with it. “Okay then…” 

Alex nodded and looked him up and down again. The man somehow managed to make it look purely analytical and not dirty at all, but it made a chill run down the blond’s back regardless. 

“I’d say the black slacks suit you perfectly, but as for the shirts I think…” He trailed off, and Edward couldn’t help but look down at himself again to check what fucking shirt he was wearing.

It was a normal, plain white one; collared and a button-down and everything. Alex was still deliberating on it however. 

“Ah, yes!” He finally said, beaming bright. “Dark shades of blue.” Alex nodded to himself approvingly while Emma dived in to scribble it down. “Anything from cobalt to navy. Oh- and! And red.  _ Crimson _ red. Those would look the best considering your complexion and colors.”

“...Cool…?” Edward croaked.

Alex’s smile suddenly fell, and he peered closer. “Oh, I didn’t see these right away. You have some freckles there.” He leaned back again, and, for the first time, Edward actually felt a flit of panic when he saw the comment being written down. “We offer chemical peels that could get rid of them rather easily, especially since they’re so light. They’re quite subjective little things, though. It’s up to you.”

A sigh of relief.

Edward belatedly realized the breath was his own and had to force a withering smile to make up for it. “I’ll keep them, please.”

He had almost forgotten.

He had almost forgotten how it was possibly the only thing he had from Trisha. She had freckles when she was younger, he’d seen the pictures, and although they long faded away, they were the only thing that seemed to link him to her. Even Al didn’t have any freckles, and even if his were destined to fade too, he couldn’t help but feel completely affronted with the idea of getting rid of them unnaturally. Edward hadn’t realized how protective he’d grown of them until now.

The wave of gratitude from not being forced to get rid of them was immense. 

Alex nodded, seemingly unbothered of either choice being made. “Good, good. Then you should be all set.” He took the papers from Emma and scanned them quickly before handing them back and grinning at the blond. “It was a pleasure meeting you, my boy. Just follow Brooklyn here and don’t worry about a thing.”

“Uh, thanks. It was nice meeting you too.” Edward returned. 

Brooklyn, who must’ve been the girl who had been giggling most of the time, went rigid and pink.

“T-this way, sir.” She stammered, passing him and ducking her head. 

She led him to one of the swivel chairs and paused by it politely while he sat down, hands clasped in front of her. “You will receive our basic spa package, like Sir Alex said, and one of our professionals will come see to you shortly. There might be a wait, however. Would you care for a magazine or paper? Coffee, tea, water, anything at all?”

Edward experimentally spun on the chain a few degrees, secretly grateful that it was adjusted low enough for his feet to reach. “Um, actually the paper and a coffee would be nice, if you don’t mind.” 

He couldn’t help it. The idea of being stuck here for who knows how long was already draining on him harshly enough to feel that the opportunity for some caffeine was godsend. “No milk- just some sugar please.”

Brooklyn nodded and practically bounded away as if the task was an exciting undertaking and not a chore. Bless her. 

Edward pointedly rotated the chair enough to not be facing the mirrors on the wall, because  _ ew _ , and noticed Jayden seemingly getting just as thrown off with the evaluation with Alex, the flush of his cheeks visible from here. Winry was a seated in a swivel chair and few ways down and was faced away as a castle worker began to brush through her hair, which had been pulled down from its usual ponytail state too, and the Selected that weren’t in line were scattered about and already at different phases of the ‘makeover’. 

“Here you are, Sir.” Brooklyn beamed and offered a cup and folded newspaper. “Is there anything else?”

The scent of steaming coffee hit Edward’s senses in a wave, and before even tasting it he knew it was going to be  _ good _ . Castle food and beverage was really the only thing holding him together in this competition sometimes. 

He took the coffee and paper with near reverence. “God, you’re an angel. Thank you so much.” 

Brooklyn went completely flushed at that and her smile wobbled. “Oh- um, of c-course.” She quickly bowed and scampered away before Edward could even process what that was all about. 

At least now he had something better to do other than loathe his current existence.

He took a sip of coffee and his shoulders marginally sagged. Damn, since when had he gotten so tense? As if becoming conscious of his unease made it more real, his leg began to bounce and jitter without his permission. Edward forced it to stop and decided to read the paper. 

Reading helps quell anxiety, right?

It was the  _ Amestris Times _ , which was a pretty staple publication considering Central didn’t control it. Of course censorship was heavy and any criticism on political matters was an actual death-wish, but it managed to get away with a few fresh perspectives and subjects that the Central Report didn’t usually cover, which was nice. Edward didn’t read papers usually, there was never time, but if there was anything he’d bother skimming when waiting in line in the market, it was the  _ Amestris Times _ . 

He unfolded it, actually looking forward to see what they’d have -sometimes there was cool science shit- and was greeted with a front page image of Roy’s fucking haughty face.

All of his eagerness and contempt wilted into exasperated distress.

Fan-fucking-tastic. 

The headline read ‘ _ The Selection: Prince Mustang Already Sighted With Multiple Dates _ ’ in obnoxiously bold print, along with a dramatic subheading of  _ ‘Are They Already The Prince’s Favorites?’  _

Edward rolled his eyes so hard that he wouldn’t have been surprised if they got stuck in the back of his head. Of course. Of fucking course every single outlet in existence would only be talking about The Selection. It was so naive of him to want to escape the competition’s grasp through a fucking paper that’d do anything other than not report on the most anticipated occasion of the decade. 

His scowl deepened as he skeptically continued reading anyway.

_ As Amestris enthusiastically awaits the broadcast of The Selection, the competition to win our prince’s heart has dissimilarly already long begun behind the castle scenes. The country is eager to know who already has taken a lead, or even a back seat, as current polling has yielded results founded on little basis. Tomorrow will be the first Central Report to officially cover the event. _

_ “It ought to be a tremendous occasion.” Says Raven Wellington, Amestris council member and director of public affairs, “The Selection only happens once every generation, so no one could bear to miss such a spectacle.” _

_ Raven assures that the event will be live and non-scripted, just as tradition dictates. Unfortunately, the Selected would have already lived in the castle for an entire week with optimal time to get closer to the prince without outside public knowledge, as per tradition as well. This has left many Selection devotees already feeling out of the conversation.  _

_ Chole Genieve, a psychologist and a self-proclaimed expert in the science of love, argues, “There’s a reason that the saying ‘love at first sight’ exists. First impressions are pivotal in determining whether or not a relationship will work in the long run. If we’re unable to see that crucial movement between his highness and the candidates, we’re missing a key piece of the story for the rest of the competition. We can’t get that opportunity back.”  _

_ As reported in our last issue, details pertaining to initial introductions remain bleakly scarce. The prince participated in the traditional interviews that are meant to eliminate anyone of immediate unappeal, which resulted in a staggeringly 14 Selected disqualified in less than one day. That was all of the information disclosed.  _

_ Could first impressions really be that meaningful? When asked what was the most important box to check, Genieve says “Memorability.”  _

_ She implies that this is what the 14 eliminated lacked.  _

_ “If you can’t remember someone’s face right after meeting them, you have little hope to form anything meaningful or deep. But if something catches your attention -anything, from eye color to mannerisms to clothes- then it’s a sign of having an inherited interest. So even a ‘bad’ first impression would be better than a boring one. Now, whether it leads to love… that’s more complicated. There’s more to it. There could be a spark or a connection that’s instant. Or it could be something more delayed and subtle- even one sided. There’s no telling, especially since none of us will be able to ever see those moments anymore.” _

_ Like Genieve, many are now left with no choice other than to wait until the first broadcast to find any hints of which Selected has so far succeeded in catching Prince Mustang’s attention. The Selection’s strict traditions haven’t left Amestris clueless however.  _

_ As previously reported, his highness has been seen with few Selected outside on castle grounds, going on what everyone believes to be the first dates. Lyra Dante was seen first on Monday, Solf Kimblee on Tuesday, and now -just in- are pictures of his highness outside with Winry Rockbell Wednesday morning. Speculation and skepticism is running amuck with these photographed finds, and we reached out to one of Amestris’s best detectives to piece together the possible- (continued on pg. 14)...  _

Holy fucking shit.

Edward quickly flipped through the pages to the rest of the article in disbelief, only to be faced with another long set of columns, this time divided with photos. 

They commissioned a fucking detective for  _ this _ crap? 

The first was of Roy posing like he was about to take a shot with a mallet, and Lyra standing by with her own in hand and watching on in awe during what appeared to be their croquet game. He could make them out with no doubt, but there was something about the quality of the photo that was almost grainy. It was from an awkward angle too, as they were forced to take the photo from the side instead of head on, and the other pictures were similarly framed. Roy and Kimblee playing chess on a patio, Roy and Winry among flowers, all barely distinguishable and clearly taken from far away. They all had small captions underneath with a basic description, but the asterisk on the end of each caught Edward’s attention. He scoured the page until he could find the corresponding footnote, and rose his eyebrows once he did.

* _ “Legally captured shots with magnification lenses from the castle perimeter.” _ It read.

The actual fuck?

The fact that trespassing wasn’t allowed was barely a consolement under the fact that apparently stalking was, along with the fact that the people were so starved for Selection content that they’d accept these low quality photos from a credible paper. He quickly skimmed what the rest of the article had to say, and couldn’t help the open scoff from how serious they were analyzing these photos. They even brought in quotes from some body-language expert, and the last line was in obnoxious bold print as if it was some slogan.

_ Amestris Times brings you all of the Selection coverage that the Central Report  _ **_doesn’t_ ** _! _

“Pretty dramatic, ain’t it?” A voice behind him drawled, making Edward jump. He pivoted to see a castle worker grinning, the mirth in her green eyes dancing brighter at his surprise. 

“Sorry- didn’t mean to scare you, sir. I’m Nicole and I’ll be taking care of all of your hair needs for today.”

Recognizing the slight country accent, Edward’s startlement quickly faded. “Hey, are you from the Resembool district?” He asked, unable to help the question.

Nicole’s eyes somehow lit up even brighter. “I sure am! You’re Edward, right? My family back home are rooting for you the most!” She suddenly brought her voice down and leaned closer. “But don’t tell anyone I said that.” She chuckled, “I’m a humble servant of the castle, indifferent and unbiased. Swear on my heart.”

Edward couldn’t help but match her smile. “Your secret’s safe with me. And, yeah-” He looked back down on the ostentatious headlines before folding the paper away, “This is the most dramatic article I’ve ever seen. Talk about bullshit.”

“The  _ Times _ are usually so reputable too…” She agreed, deftly turning his chair and taking out a spray bottle out of nowhere. Edward was surprised to find her indifferent approach to starting on his hair strangely comforting despite nothing being explained or stated, like he thought it would’ve been. He didn’t even flinch when she began to spray water behind his shoulders.

“It’s not that surprising, though,” Nicole continued, now starting to comb over some places with her other hand, “With the Selection finally started, the entire country is on the edge of her seat. I could see why- after all, so many dreams come true in this sort of thing, especially for the lower castes.”

Edward took a sip of coffee while in awe with the fact that his head actually wasn’t getting roughly pulled back with the detangling. Even his mother’s gentle touch couldn’t stop the inevitable pain from his hair snagging- it must have been the castle brushes. The pleasant surprise couldn’t stop his small frown, however.

“You really think this… helps? I mean, there’s not a lot of lower castes in the Selection to begin with, and…” The blond trailed off, stopping himself from saying the rest.

_ It’s not like a lower caste would actually win. _

Nicole just laughed lightly, and Edward saw her shake her head through the mirror that was to his side.

“It’s way more than the actual candidates. I’ve always wished since I was a little girl to see the castle someday, and even as a Six, I knew it was possible. As a servant, sure, but still. It would be better than working on the farm at least.” Her voice softened, a gentle smile no doubt now on her lips. 

“Don’t get me wrong. I loved the family I had back there, and our employer wasn’t cruel or anything either. In fact, a steady job was a real blessing -not as many are as lucky- but...  _ gosh, the castle _ . I never thought I would ever be able to leave town, yet alone go to Central. I was only able to get work here because the Selection created so many new job openings, and for the first time, after trying for  _ years, _ my application finally went through. My dream came true… and now I’m here.”

“I…” Edward held to coffee close to himself. “I never thought about it like that…” 

Nicole nodded emphatically and began bringing up pieces of hair to snip the ends. For maybe once in his life, the blond actually didn’t strain to try to watch whether she was cutting too much or not. He strangely found himself to completely trust her on the matter.

“And it’s not just me,” She said, “Judging by the influx of new servants, probably hundreds of others got their wish granted. Being a castle servant is like, the  _ peak _ of being a Six.” Nicole laughed. “Not to mention, back home I heard from my brothers that commissions are going like crazy -they’re carpenters- and the unemployment rate is actually low for once. All because of the Selection. Everyone wants new furniture, new things, just because. Even Fives are getting booked like crazy, I heard, and there’s enough screening parties and balls to keep servers and musicians in work for entire weeks.” She paused to part his hair and trim his bangs. 

“ _ Everyone _ is just in such high spirits. It all trickles down, you know? Resembool even held a festival yesterday-”

Edward gaped and had to stop himself from pivoting for the sake of his hair. 

“No way! They haven’t held a festival since the droughts- I thought...”

“We’d never have one again?” Nicole grinned, clearly just as elated. “Me too.”

“Holy shit.” Edward somehow managed to slump more in his seat despite already laying back. Resembool was a district completely made up of lower castes. A ‘dirt poor’ town, even, yet things were prosperous enough to hold a festival? Spirits had to be impossibly high if everyone decided to get together and actually  _ volunteer _ and fucking  _ donate _ despite usually having nothing for themselves, let alone for the town.

Edward had only been to a festival once, and it was in celebration for the birth of Selim Bradly. The entire country always partied for such irrelevant occasions, but even grouchy pre-teen Edward had taken the spectacle of the town center with awe. 

People actually took their day off, and everyone teamed up to decorate like there was no tomorrow. The results were always a mismatch of reused colored triangle flags and tearing tablecloth on fold-able tables and a plethora of decorative hay bales and barrels that somehow managed to be charming despite the creative chaos. They’d let the children paint the stone tiles, a horrible decision really on an aesthetic basis, but no one cared about the splotches of color and chalk. Anyone who could spare any vegetables or broth would all congregated in Mrs. Burner kitchen, because she had the largest space and largest pots, and everyone would make a giant stew, and others would bring large trays of their own contribution, so the tables were always lined with enough food for everyone by the evening, and for one night no one would go hungry. 

Then the music would start, and all Fives would bring their favorite instrument, trading off and sharing as they took turns playing tunes. Edward had contently stayed in the corner adding the guitar lines in the beginning, but once the sun set and bonfire started -festival in full swing- even he couldn’t resist belling pulled in,  _ literally _ , to the dancing and celebration. He’d ended up dancing with complete strangers, hooking an arm and spinning and stumbling and laughing and spun from one partner to the next until he’d somehow made the entire circle of the town square. A violinist had begun to dance while playing and got the whole band to follow, the ukulele guy had three more ukuleles with him for some reason and passed them to non-musicians who wanted to try, Fours were dancing and getting drunk with Sixes, and for the first time- 

Edward wasn’t a Five.

There was no distinction that night. The lines got so blurred that he lost track whether he was dancing or cheering or playing, and there was something so liberating about playing the first chords of his favorite party tune and -without hesitation or question- everyone just joining along in the song change. Half the night’s melodies were improv and everyone just went with the flow, the many songs that tapered off or got completely butchered, either from the player being too drunk or from being not a Five at all, just bringing another loud chorus of laughter and cheer. Someone would yell for a toast and everyone would lift their cups with a  _ ‘hurrah _ !’, before downing them and just starting the dance over again from the top. 

It went on all night, and Edward remembered for once feeling lucky to be alive in a time where he could feel it. Feel the heat, the music, the laughter, the commodore, and knowing that no one could take that away from them. The overwhelming joy was so genuine to the point of being nonsensical, and, now that he was looking back on it, Edward couldn’t help but briefly wonder if he had danced with Nicole that night.

It could’ve easily been possible. The entire town had been there, and her crown of curls pinned up in a ponytail bun was vaguely familiar. She could’ve been the same girl that he let hold his guitar for one moment, or the girl who pulled him aside to enthusiastically remind him to eat something as to not collapse by shoving a roll of bread in his face, or the girl who was laughing next to him when the entire group tried to form a kick-line that was more of a failed attempt and instead a massive swaying-circle-huddle.

She was there that same night for sure, judging by the reminiscent look in her eyes. 

To think that things had gotten good enough again as to have a festival even after the past few years crushing droughts and rising unemployment and declining health and increasing population and the decaying town was- It was almost unfathomable. 

Edward had long since given up on life being that good and carefree again, so to think that the Selection actually inadvertently brought that happiness and prosperity  _ back _ was… kinda amazing.

That just made his next thought all of the more shattering.

What’ll happen when it ends?

What’ll happen after the novelty of the prince finding love -and even getting married- _wore_ _off_? Things would just go back to how they were, and discontempt and bitterness would seep back into the lower castes because- life would be a struggle again. The prosperity would end. 

What would happen to Nicole after the castle no longer needed the extra servants? 

Edward tried his best to not let the sudden down-turn of his thoughts show in his expression, but it was little difficult when he was suddenly whirled in his chair to face himself in the mirror. 

“Ta-da! Trim finished.” Nicole beamed, hands on her hips. “Now for the hair treatments. Could you please follow me?” 

Edward quickly schooled his expression into something he hoped looked pleasurable. Being a pessimist really sucked sometimes. “Sure.”

Armored with the towel around his shoulders, he stood from the seat and took the newspaper and coffee with him. He hadn’t seen them before, but there was a line of fancy basin sinks behind a set of chairs that had suspiciously blended in perfectly with the leather massage ones, and they might as well have been the same thing considering how deep he sunk into the cushion. Nicole pulled up a rolling stool next to it, already doing something with a remote that had the seat reclining far back, and disappeared from the blond’s field of vision as she slid closer to the sink. “If you want anymore coffee before I hold you hostage for the next half hour, you should do it now.” She grinned, turning on the faucet. 

“Noted.” Edward winced, slightly concerned about whether this would actually take a half hour. He stayed sitting up even as the backing of the chair kept lowering and didn’t contemplate for long before deciding to just down the whole thing. 

“Okay,” He said after a moment. Edward put the empty cup down and fell back into the cushion. “Done.”

Nicole let out a low whistle before breaking into barely restrained laughter. “Had I known you’d chug the whole thing, I wouldn’t have said that.”

“No, it’s better this way.” He insisted, getting comfortable.

She laughed again. “If you say so.” 

It turned out that it was not better that way. 

It didn’t feel particularly awful, but having his hair washed for such a long interval had him beginning to feel restless. Edward couldn’t tell if it was from the nerves or the caffeine- he blamed both regardless. He tried his best to stay still, trying to not dwell on the ache forming in his neck from leaning back, and asked Nicole more about her brothers in Resembool to take his mind off the overall discomfort it was to be pampered. He wasn’t used to the way a maid kept coming by to ask if he needed anything like a refill of coffee or how a pair of castle workers came up and trimmed and cleaned his nails without prompt, and, when Nicole thoughtfully explained all of the conditioners and treatments, Edward found himself completely lost on the subject. All the herbs and oils she was listing as part of the ingredients made her sound like some spiritual chef revealing vegan recipes or something, and Edward nearly was about to tell her so right up until Nicole was pulling him to sit up. 

“All done!” She beamed, turning off the blow dryer that had been blaring in Edward’s ears for the past few minutes. “You already had really fine hair- but now it’ll be unbelievably silky smooth and shiny for months!”

He wasn’t sure what made her so happy about it, because he personally didn’t care. “Thanks.” He said anyway, because dammit it was still nice to make a Six happy even if it meant being uncomfortable for a while. She had clearly enjoyed the process, if her enthusiastic scalp-massaging and thorough combing was anything to go by. Edward smiled back, her joy contagious. “So I can go now, right?”

Nicole shook her head, and immediately his smile fell. Whatever face he made must’ve been funny or something, because she laughed. “Oh, no. Sorry, sir. You still got a few more things to go. Will you follow me please?”

Edward’s fleeting happiness plummeted like a butterfly from a strong gust of wind, way too fragile than justifiable, but he followed Nicole to another chair anyway. This one was one of those actual massage chairs, but it had a pedicure bowl at the foot of the seat. He eyed it distrustfully and sat down, carefully keeping his legs to the side.

“How much more do I have to get done?”

Nicole regarded a sheet of paper from a clipboard. “Sir Alex didn’t mark a lot of extra things for you- there wasn’t much to be done to improve your appearance I suppose- and you didn’t request anything either so it’s just basic package care left.”

“What does that have?”

“Some simple skin and face treatments, pedicure -don’t worry, no polish of course- and supplementary feet care, eyebrow shaping, cuticle treatment, and then a physical report for documentation purposes at the end. That’s it.”

“ _That’s it_.” Edward dryly repeated. “I’m going to be here for ages, aren’t I?”

Nicole made an effort to hide her smile. “The castle only offers the most thorough spa care for the Selected, unfortunately.”

“It’s a tragedy.”

“Completely.” She pretended to agree, “Another castle worker will be with you shortly for the rest. I got to get back to hair services.” 

Nicole bowed curtly and began to walk away before Edward could process what she said, and by the time he realized that it meant he’d be alone, she was gone. Well, not gone, just across the room and beginning to talk to another Selected as she started to spray their hair. It took a moment for Edward to see who was facing away in that seat, but he couldn’t even find himself to be surprised to see that it was fucking Russel. The line long finished, Alex was now nowhere to be seen and everyone was dispersed throughout the large room. He could spot Jean getting a massage in the back and Riza getting her hair washed down the row, but either because they were facing away or were in the other conjoined room where the tans and manicures were happening, he couldn’t see anyone else he knew. 

“Hi, Ed!” 

The blond nearly startled from his musings, turning to see Rose beside him. He didn’t know how he completely missed seeing the girl- she was right there next to him for God’s sake. 

“Oh. Hey, Rose.”

She had a magazine in her lap and a castle worker already working on her pedicure, her toenails were being painted pink, and she beamed at him brightly. “Long time no see. How have you been?”

“I’ve been good- oh, hey… did you dye your hair?”

Her beam fell. Rose grabbed a long strand and twisted it in her finger, looking away. “Yeah… I’m just not- I don’t… hey, you think it looks okay?”

Edward blinked. All that changed was the shade of color- it still had that rose pink tinge, but it was much darker and bordering on chocolate brown instead of the previous strawberry brunette. He didn’t get what Rose was so worried about. 

“I mean, I’m not a beauty expert or anything, but I think it looks fine.”

“Fine?”

“It’s pretty!” Edward instinctively amended. Something in her expression compelled him to say it without even thinking, but that didn’t make the statement any less embarrassing. He sounded like a fawning schoolgirl for a second. “Ahem, um,” He cleared his throat, “What made you want to change it?”

“Oh... thank you,” She smiled again, but Edward could still see the traces of worry in her brow. “Alex recommended a darker shade, but it was up to me. I’ve always wanted to dye my hair because I never could afford it or had a reason to, so…” She trailed off, shrugging as if brushing off the matter. It was strange to see her looking so strained to be positive. 

“I kept my bangs their natural color, though!” Rose suddenly quipped, smile more genuine. “It’s apparently a new trend in the capital to have light bangs with dark hair - at least that’s what they told me- so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“Yeah, it suits you.”

“You think so?” She brightened. “Sorry, I was just so worried if it looked weird at first. I’m still not used to it.” 

Edward was watching her closely, because something about that statement seemed to be off; it felt like that wasn’t the whole truth. Dammit, Al would’ve been able to tell what it was by now, probably, or even since the start. Trying to read people was never his forte, but he still had a pretty good bullshit radar that at least gave him a heads up. Edward decided he wasn’t going to pry though.

“I wanted to dye my hair black when I was a teenager for a while.” He offered instead, settling deeper in the comfortable seats. “Now though I could really care less.” 

Rose gasped. “Oh, Ed, don’t say that! You’re golden hair is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen!”

“Huh?” Edward turned to look at her, caught off guard with her passion. “I don’t think it’s all that special, I mean, I guess it’s a rare color but…” 

Rose’s expression suddenly turned devastated, and it pulled down right at his heart. 

“Rose... what’s wrong?” 

“Oh, nothing! Sorry, I-”

Edward was concerned now. He wasn’t that close to her but he knew that this behavior wasn’t like her at all. She was looking down now and idly tugging on her bangs. Her still naturally pink bangs. 

“You never wanted to dye your hair at all, did you?” Edward slowly realized.

Rose looked between him and the side, a wobbling smile on her lips. “Well, I did a little. And I actually  _ do _ really like it- it’s just…” She sighed, and it was silent for a moment besides the rustling of the castle worker putting away the pedicure supplies by Rose’s feet. The maid stood and bowed. It wasn’t until she left when Rose finally looked back at him. 

“It’s not exactly about the hair.” She admitted. Even though no one else was around anymore, she lowered her voice. “You know how we got letters yesterday?”

Edward felt his stomach drop. Oh no. How could he have forgotten? Rose’s pile was just as big as his, and she no doubt got the same sort of reception being a fellow Five and all. 

“Jesus. Those things? Yeah. We’re they…” He paused, unable to find the words for a moment, “Were they really, um,”

_ Disgusting? Sickening? Presumptuous? Creepy? Repulsive? Perverted? Downright crass and nasty? _

“Er...Bad?” He said instead.

Rose did a mix of nodding and shrugging, gesturing vaguely. “Well, no completely. I mean, there were some really nice ones in there, and then all the students from the school that I taught a pottery elective class wrote to me which was nice, but I mean a lot of them were just- they weren’t even fanmail, just...”

“Marriage proposals.” 

Rose only nodded this time. “Right.” She then shifted in her seat to face him better. “Okay, do you know how some Selected have these fan-made nicknames?”

“Fan-made nicknames?”

“Yeah, like how they call you ‘golden boy’, how they call Olivier ‘ice queen’, Lust ‘greek goddess’, Cartson ‘blue eyes’...” 

Edward did his best to not look like he had no idea who some of those Selected were, and Rose went on, not noticing the confusion. 

“Of course not everyone has one,” She continued, “But anyone with a trait that really stands gets one, I guess. And from my name and hair color mine is simply ‘the rose’- as in the flower. Which isn’t the bad part, because, I mean, it made me really happy to see how pretty the posters were at the parade and being compared to a flower is a complement. But…”

Edward’s brows furrowed. “Yeah?”

“A lot of those marriage proposals... A lot of those Twos and Threes used it like- like some _pet_ _name_. ‘My garden rose’, ‘my lovely rose’, and phrases like that…” Rose huffed, looking more tired than upset. “And I knew they weren’t using my name, because it was never capitalized, and even if they had they kept adding ‘my’ to it and- It’s so stupid, but I thought... maybe if my hair wasn’t pink then they wouldn’t call me that. Maybe if I didn’t look like a rose at all I wouldn’t be demeaned to one. I know it’s not going to help, but I just wanted to- I don’t know, separate myself from that a bit and I just-”

Edward nodded understanding as she paused and was clearly no longer able to find the words, feeling something wrong settle in his stomach at the sight of her usual bright attitude gone. “Yeah, I get it.” He reassured. “It’s dehumanizing.” 

Rose looked at him with wide eyes as if she just realized something. 

“Oh, Ed! Of course, you probably went through the same sort of thing!- I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to seem inconsiderate-”

“What? No, Rose you’re okay.” He forced a half-laugh. “Really, there’s no reason you need to be apologizing, I’m fine.”

She looked scrutinizing for a second. 

“Really.” Edward added, “I only read a few and threw the rest to the ground.”

Rose blinked. “Oh. I should’ve done that too…” He stared at her for a long moment, the words taking a while to process.

“Fuck’s sake, don’t tell me you…”

She nodded solemnly. “I read them all. Had to stay up past 12, but-”

“Rose!- You can’t just fucking-” He cut himself off to pinch the bridge of his nose instead. “Sorry, it’s not your fault- I didn’t mean to get angry _ - _ but fuck…”

“No, I understand.” Rose sighed. “I don’t regret it though.”

“Rose…”

“I don’t. They weren’t all bad, Edward. Some were creepy, sure, and a lot made me feel like I was worth nothing more than arm candy, but some were  _ good _ . Most were decent, at least.”

“How?” He pressed, unable to keep the distaste from his tone.

Rose’s gaze had softened as if she was looking at something far away that no one else could see. 

“Some were honest.” She started, “Some of the upper castes were completely up front with their situation- I got one letter from this duke, and the first line he wrote was ‘I won’t lie, I’m already in love with another.’ He was in love with a Six, Edward. His family’s house maid. It was so romantic, really. A Two, who’d rather marry for love than status, and it absolutely broke my heart because he told me exactly why he couldn’t. He asked if I’d consider him if I were to get eliminated, just because it’d please his family, and that he’d do his best to love and care for me as if I were  _ her _ .” 

Rose slowly shook her head. “I really didn’t understand at first. It made no sense to me that he’d so thoroughly given up on marrying the girl he wanted to, but I understood the more letters I read. A few more were honest too. One woman said that she’s desperate to marry a Selected because, if she couldn’t, her family would force her to marry the son of a family friend, but he was a man that she hated. And another Two said he’d get financially cut off because marrying a Selected is his family’s last chance to rise back into the noble's circle, and I guess…”

Edward watched as she paused, her smile pure and soft. 

“Hearing what it’s like to walk in their shoes...Feeling like a part of their lives as some confessed their deepest secrets and fears, knowing what they were worried about, what they cared about… I always thought it was only lower castes sacrificing true love, but it’s just as much for the upper castes, and I guess- I felt.. grateful.”

She nodded to herself and looked at him. “I’m grateful to hear their stories, to learn we’re all struggling, to know I can help someone.”

“Jesus, Rose…” Edward breathed, not really knowing what to say. 

Rose laughed and twirled a strand of hair with her fingers again. “Sorry- you probably think it’s dumb, huh? To only look at it in one way like that.”

The blond felt guilt tug at his stomach. “I used to…” He admitted. 

Initially, Rose’s perpetual optimism seemed completely unjustified, and Edward could never understand what people like her got out of being nice to even those who didn’t deserve it. It almost made him angry, in fact, the thought of those privileged upper castes garnering sympathy and pity in their mansions, but- Rose was right.

He never even considered it, but caste expectations equally trapped everyone regardless of privilege. Edward knew that there were many irredeemable upper castes out there, but he also knew not all of them were condensing pricks. He had yet to meet enough to outweigh the majority so far, but still, it was an easy fact to forget.

“It’s not dumb though. It’s refreshing- your perspective.” Edward confessed. He was honestly impressed with the insight Rose had about the letters, and he didn’t expect her to make so many points that had his mind backtracking and lingering to consider them. His brother was right; he was always quick to write off people assuming the worst, wasn’t he? 

“I’m sorry, Rose.” Edward looked her in the eye. “I thought your optimism came from naivete, but it’s not- it’s from kindness, and there’s nothing naive about kindness.” 

Her eyes got shiny for a second and she waved a hand dismissal while starting to beam. “Awe, Ed! That’s the nicest thing I think I’ve ever heard you say. That’s so sweet of you!”

“Well jeez, that makes it sound like I’m usually an asshole.”

Rose laughed. “You’re not, you’re not. Just, reserved I supposed.”

“It’s my resting bitch face, isn’t it?”

She froze and blinked before bursting out into helpless laughter- It was so contagious that Edward couldn’t help but follow. 

“Oh goodness no, Ed! You shouldn’t speak so low of yourself.” Her grin fell into an easy smile, something softer in her gaze. “Besides, you’re right too. I shouldn’t have read them all… there were enough bad ones to get to me for a while. After all, I...” Rose’s hand dropped to her newly dyed dark brown hair. “I’d say it’s pretty naive to think coloring my hair would help anything.”

Edward considered for a moment.

“Nah,” He decided, “I think it’s a sick way to take some revenge.”

“Revenge?”

“To prove you’re your own person.” He gestured to her, “To prove that you don’t care to look like what they want you to look like.”

“But my reason-”

“Regardless of the reason, you said you liked the new look, right?”

Rose looked down to where her fingers were still brushing the dark locks. 

“Yeah…” She said after a while, “I really do actually.”

“So you didn’t do it for them. At least not completely. You did it for  _ you _ .” 

For a moment, it looked like she was about to dismiss the idea completely, but then she paused to consider it. “Oh,” She said after a second, “I never… I never thought about it that way before.”

If Edward felt something a little warm in his chest from seeing Rose smile to herself while holding her hair, he’d never admit it. 

* * *

Rose had moved on to a new phase of the makeover after she was told her nail polish had officially dried around that time Edward’s own pedicure was started by other bustling servants, so they parted ways not soon after their letter conversation. He didn’t talk to anyone else besides the maids after that, as no one else he knew managed to have aligned spa procedures next to him, but he was grateful for the break. The closest call of that being interrupted was when Ling was sat only 2 seats down from him halfway through, and Edward could practically feel his radiating intention to start a conversation with him, so he promptly kept his eyes forward and avoided the Two’s gaze. 

By the time he got to the physical assessment, his face stung from all of the creams and his feet were starting to get cold from being barefoot in slides he was forced to wear. The doctor, a short stocky man with silver streaks of hair, reflected Edward’s own enthusiasm perfectly as he tiredly pointed to the scale to take his weight. The man didn’t even bother to attempt conversation as he took the blond’s height and just wrote all the numbers down on some paper, muttering to himself the whole way. 

“Can I go now?” He asked, rubbing his bicep from its recent assault with the blood pressure monitor. The doctor didn’t even look up as he idly nodded, but that was more than good enough for Edward. He ran out of there -not literally but in spirit- and found himself feeling relieved at making it out into the large hallway. 

“Fucking finally,” He groaned, stretching his arms above his head to quell the knots that had formed in his back from all the sitting. Edward somehow managed to make it out of there before a lot of the others, but nonetheless it had felt like ages. How Winry found this whole process relaxing, he had no clue. It was tolerable at first, but it expectedly went downhill from there and he was more than ready to call it a day by now despite it being only afternoon.

Edward made his way back to his room, pulling his hair back up as he made his way, and vaguely frowned at seeing his door open. He wasn’t right away worried, as he figured it was just the maids, but he slowed down to pause as he got there anyway. 

As soon as Edward walked inside his room, he knew something was wrong.

He spotted Mei and the others huddled around someone who he didn’t recognize, the stranger’s head in their hands and muffling a cry. 

“What’s wrong?” He cautioned, the tone conveying the million other questions on his mind. Mei actually flinched hearing his voice, her expression actually fearful when she turned to face him. It softened to something more akin to relief as she meekly smiled, but concern painted the edges and her lips quivered. 

“I didn’t think you’d be back yet.” She said instead, hesitantly stepping to the side. Edward could get a better view of the person Claudia and Jasmine were still hovering around now, and he realized it was another maid. She whimpered in her hands again before wiping her eyes and looking up hesitantly at him, barely registering his entrance. 

“Oh, I am so sorry to intrude, sir.” She quickly bowed, her curtain of purple hair hiding her face as she kept her head down. “I’ll be leaving.”

“Wait-” Mei stuttered, stopping herself as if crossing a line. She shot a pleading look at Edward, and without saying another word he understood. 

“Hey, it’s okay.” He quickly assured, putting his hands up in a show of being harmless. “You don’t have to leave.”

The maid stopped, clearly confused in her current predicament. Edward watched as she silently gave a panicked look to Mei, who smiled and nodded reassuringly in return. The tightness in her shoulders only relaxed marginally. 

“T-thank you, sir.” She sighed.

Edward slowly walked further inside. “Are you alright?” She made a small motion with her head, but it was so obscure that he couldn’t tell if she was shaking her head or nodding. He noticed the way Claude and Jasmine tensed when he got closer to her, and that only had his mind whirring faster as he tried to fit the pieces. Whatever had happened, it clearly wasn’t anything good.

He shoved his hands in his pockets to look more casual and put on what he hoped was a friendly smile. “What’s your name?”

She sniffed. “It’s L-Lydia, sir.” 

He was close enough to be able to touch her if he reached out now, but made no movement to do so. “Can I see your face, Lydia?”

The room was quiet for a moment as she hesitantly looked up at him, and Edward had to stifle a harsh intake of breath. 

The side of her face was blooming in purple so dark that it nearly matched her hair, the bruise seeping down her cheek bone right under her eye and swelling in angry red. His heart clenched at the image.

Edward had gotten into fights before, and he’d fallen on his face plenty, but even without the experience it was painfully clear; It had just happened.

He hoped his grimace didn’t look as pained as it felt. 

“Who hit you?”

Lydia pressed her lips in a thin line and gently shook her head. When Edward glanced towards Mei and the others, they averted their gazes to the floor. They all knew. They all knew who did this, but they weren’t going to tell him for whatever reason. 

He sighed, suddenly feeling heavy.

“Stay here as long as you’d like, Lydia.” He turned. “Jasmine, can you please take her to the sink and help her wash her face?”

Jasmine curtly nodded. “Of course.”

“Claudia, can you get some bandages? I would do it myself but I have no idea where they are-”   
“Of course, sir. Leave it to me.” She left the room as Lydia followed Jasmine to the bathroom, leaving Edward and Mei alone. He watched her leave and dropped his gaze to the floor as the door shut, staring at nothing, and vaguely registered the head maid slowly padding closer until she was right at his side.

“Thank you.” She said. 

Edward frowned and turned to face her. 

“What for? I haven’t done anything.”

Mei huffed and did the face she always did when she wanted to roll her eyes at him in exasperation. For once, she didn’t actually do it. 

“For letting Lydia stay awhile. She really needs a safe place to be right now, so it means a lot.” She paused and looked down, voice softer. “Her and I were stationed together before the Selection, so the first place she ran too was to me, but…” Mei shook her head to herself, “You have to understand though, it’s the number one rule that maids under the Selected candidates aren’t allowed to step foot in another room that’s not their own charge’s. To keep from competitors ordering their maids to steal or pry in another Selected’s privacy and such.” She shrugged and smiled, some of the heavy weight on her shoulders disappearing. “And she could get in a lot of trouble for this, but I knew you wouldn’t care because you’re… well,  _ you _ . And because you never even read the entire rules to even know that, probably.”

The way she said ‘you’ and nudged his shoulder right after like she was trying to not laugh at him made Edward snort.

“Is that supposed to be a complement?” 

Mei’s mirth left and she smiled less teasingly. “It is, actually.”

Edward’s own expression sobered and he looked down again. “And is another rule keeping you from telling me who it was?”

For a moment, the only sound was the muffled running water from the sink in the other room. Mei shifted her weight.

“Not exactly a rule... More of a code.”

He pivoted. “ ‘Code’ my ass. So we just let them get away with fucking hitting her?”

Mei didn’t even wince under the blond’s sudden anger, and instead just looked defeated. “There’s nothing any of us could do.”

“Bullshit.”

She looked Edward dead in the eye, stern. “Listen. I know you just want to help. Trust me, I want to help more than  _ anyone _ , but I can’t do anything.  _ You _ can’t do anything. That’s the hard truth. What would you even try once you knew? Try to fight them and get disqualified? Try to tell the prince and expect him to believe you and kick them out? Try to report it as if anyone would care?”

Edward recoiled as if affronted. “Fuck yeah, I’d do all of those things. At least I’d be  _ trying _ something.”

Mei scowled and crossed her arms. “It’s not that simple- that’s not... “

“How it works?” Edward finished, his own voice withered. Mei’s scowl fell and she looked at him. 

“I know things aren’t in our favor…” He muttered, “I know we can never win a fight accusing an upper caste. But, Mei… that’s exactly why we have to  _ try _ . No one else is going to do it for us, no one else is going to bother trying to save us, no one but each other.”

Edward felt his eyebrows crease. “Please… Can you tell me who did it?”

Mei looked away and bit her lip. She considered it for a long moment, and her face twisted into something broken as she closed her eyes and sighed.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” 

Edward felt the defeat in her words ring heavily in his chest. She looked to him briefly, cautious as if expecting anger, and that only made the blond’s heart ache sink deeper. For the first time, she looked her age; Mei looked like a child. 

“No, it’s okay.” He assured, walking towards the door. “Can you make sure Lydia gets patched up? Whatever you need to do to help her out, you have my permission.”

Confusion overtook Mei’s worry as she watched him step out into the hall. “Of course...but,” She scurried to the doorwar. “Wait. Where are you going?”

Edward tried to give a reassuring smile, but even he could feel how strained it was. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon. Just need to do something.”

“Edward,” She warned.

“I have to  _ try _ , Mei.” 

“Edward!”

He shut the door before she could reach out to him and began to make his way briskly down the hall, not looking back. He trusted the head maid wouldn’t leave Lydia’s side to go after him, and, sure enough, Mei didn’t follow. Good. 

Edward didn’t have to walk long to find a patrolling guard.

“Can I help you, sir?” He asked, pausing in his steps, “Everyone’s in the spa parlor, it’s right down-” 

“I don’t need to go to the damn spa.” Edward kept his tone flat, not wanting to come off as rude but too irritated to censor his speech. He looked at the guard head on.

“I need to speak to Mustang.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sad there is no Roy boy in this chapter U-U   
> Like seriously, I think that's why I went so far and couldn't find a reasonable 10 paged area to cut this chapter off. Also, for those wondering, the 12 paged scene I cut from this was Edward having lunch in the dining hall for the first time instead of just taking it to go, and there he and Ling had this CRAZY conversation about greek and conspiracies and anthropology and technological recession and immigration and honestly it was way too much too fast so I was like 'nope' and cut the whole thing xD I don't think it's ever gonna make an appearance so just rest assured that Ling was very snarky and was stealing Ed's food off of his plate the entire time lol. Also gave him a cameo in the spa because poor guy lost his big moment.   
> As for the next chapter, this one ends Thursday so now we'll be starting Friday morning. Also I THINK (not for sure guys so please don't get hopes up if I don't do it >~<) this next chap will be in Roy's perspective! So far it a good plot area to do it, but the only thing hanging in the air is if/how I should recap past events from his perspective. The whole thing would just be him gushing for Ed tho 24/7 not gonna lie lmao.   
> Anyways, -again- I am so very sorry for the extra long wait! I know some of ya'll have told me before that it's alright and to take my time (I adore you guys for that, you're all so kind ;v;) but please allow me this apology to you guys. Hopefully I will see you all soon! Love you all, stay safe! <3


	14. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Had it been up to Roy, he would’ve had the Selection as soon as he turned 18. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me *screams at the top of lungs*: ROYBOYYYYY *sirens go off in the distance* ROYBOYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!  
> (if you can guess the youtuber meme this is from I'll give you pretend cookies xD)  
> Guys!! I'm so happy that I managed to get a 10-paged chapter done only a few days late! Big improvement from the last update, haha. Also I lied, it's still Thursdayyyy *cri* but Friday is fast approaching our favorite pair of idiots. This chap is also in Roy's perspective! Gonna be honest, there are some p o l i t i c s so if that's not your thing, please bare with me!   
> Thank you all for patiently waiting- please enjoy this chapter! <3

Roy pinched the bridge of his nose as Gardner’s prattling voice provoked another throb in his head and did his best to not audibly groan in pain. This meeting was a mess.

“A 120% increase in attacks, your majesty.” The silver haired man repeated, pounding the table with his fist for emphasis. “So that is why we must proceed with the lower caste curfew initiative!”

“Please,” Fox cut in, “I reckon that’d help little considering the attacks have been in daylight just as well as nightfall.” He countered, idly combing down his thin mustache with his thumb.

“What we really need is more soldiers.” 

“More soldiers in a time like this?!” Grand bellowed. 

“Or send more to the borders. That’s where their bases are.”

“We already have most of our soldiers positioned there!”

“Councilmen,” Bradely silenced, merely holding a hand up. Roy watched the King carefully, on the look out for the tell-tale eyebrow twitch that would reveal he was angry, and waited for his verdict. Inputting anything in the discussion himself without knowing his father’s standing was like trying to not get blown up treading a minefield, and Roy didn’t feel particularly keen on exploding today. 

“It has merely been a week.” Bradley said. “An increase in rebel attacks was expected, so let’s not allow this to make us rash. We continue with the original plan.”

Klemin, who had been relatively quiet since the beginning, now openly shook his head. “We don’t know who’s funding the southern attacks. Going for their sources and sponsor is impossible.”

The King slightly frowned, but Roy knew it was for show. “Had we not made headway in investigations? Councilmen Edison?”

At being called, Edison nearly startled and fumbled to open the files in front of him, adjusting his glasses. 

“According to these reports, your majesty, we still haven’t uncovered the southern rebels’ benefactors. Only that the assailants have been primarily Sevens and general lower castes; we have not had any successful interrogations, so their leader is still unknown.”

“As for the northern rebels?”

“Their weapons and funding trials have proved to be clearly linked to Drachma as we had earlier suspected, and -like the southern rebels- the attacks have been led out by lower castes, so there’s been no change on that front, your majesty.”

“Lower caste curfew initiative.” Gardner repeated, as if his point was now proven.

Roy couldn’t take the ridiculous idea any more. 

“No, that wouldn’t help.” He dismissed, uncaring of the bewildered look that garnered from the man. Taking a deep breath, the prince steeled himself, knowing that he had to finish what he started if he wanted to get out of this unscathed. His father was watching after all. 

“Clearly,” Roy pressed, putting on his most flat tone, “The lower castes have an incentive to carry out the attacks. Otherwise, they would not accept the funding of outside parties, Drachma included, and no rebel organization would exist in the first place. The people are displeased about something, and suppressing them into a curfew would only make matters worse.”

Fox immediately scoffed, and Roy was able to anticipate the on-coming dissent with that breath alone. He had already expected the blatant hostility really; most of the council men took advantage of the fact that his father would do nothing about it. Gardner was glaring daggers and Fox didn’t even bother to hide the condescending lilt in his voice. 

“With all due respect, your highness, that’s a moot claim. Every country has opposition and protest- it’s inevitable. That’s what the military is for, and to suggest that we allow these rebels to get their way rather than shut them down is foolish and naive at best.”

Roy kept his indifferent expression as he shook his head. 

“You fail to see my point, Councilman Fox. We would not allow rebels to have their way by simply choosing to avoid causing more discourse among them. Not to mention, Councilman Gardner’s suggestion to implement a curfew would only remove soldiers desperately needed on the front lines- a notion you’re clearly against. To side with him now when you have already disagreed with him scarcely a few minutes prior makes your argument against me, dare I say, unfounded and out of spite.”

That instantly had the room reacting, and Roy had to suppress a smirk from catching Fox right where he wanted him. They were all so prepared to pounce on him that they almost always forgot to check if they even had anything to land on. Fox’s restrained snarl had his lips drawn so tight that his pencil mustache was nearly pointing up.

“I never said that I agreed with the curfew initiative- only that to do nothing about the lower castes would be imprudent!”

“And did  _ I _ ever say that we should do nothing?” Roy countered.

At that he sputtered in indignation and opened his mouth to retaliate, but was cut off before he could get another word.    
“Then I must ask, your highness,” Klemin interjected. “What  _ do _ you suppose we do about the lower castes?” His tone was mostly impartial, but the gleam in his eye made it clear that he was out for blood.

“You mean the rebellion groups?” The prince challenged, deferring the question. Klemin knew it’d be impossible to answer because, had anyone had clear solutions, this wouldn’t have been an issue in the first place. Roy wasn’t one to miss it when someone tried to phrase the argument in a way that made any answer bound to fail, and he wasn’t about to trip up now.

“The rebellion groups founded within the lower castes, yes.”

“Have we not already found some trails pointing towards upper castes, Councilman Klemin? Not to mention Drachma’s involvement?”

Everyone turned to Edison, expectant of the Head of Investigations to come through. 

“Oh, um- let’s see.” Edison stammered, once again caught off guard to be drawn straight into the middle of the debate. “According to investigations, they’ve been able to arrest a few Twos and Threes under the basis of conspiring with the southern rebel groups, however none are within the nobel circle and they also all have records of being first to third generation Climbers.” He adjusted his glasses again as he peered at the papers closer. 

“One man is purportedly a former Five, who managed to become a Two through marital relations only recently.” 

“So they’re all lower caste sympathizers.” Klemin concluded, now sounding smug.

Roy could tangibly feel the tides turning against him and was quick to stop the murmurs agreement that would undoubtedly soon follow the man’s statement. 

“Regardless,” He said, “It still proves that lower castes are not the sole perpetrators. Although they might make up the majority, their increasing funds and resources have to be coming from somewhere. We know the north is being supplied by Drachma, but until we know who’s benefactoring the south -the two rebellion groups have already made themselves distinctly separate from one another- taking any military action against our own people would be impulsive.”

“His highness has a point,” Grumman spoke up. The older man was relatively uninterested in contributing to debates, but now he was already rifling through one of the files on his desk. “Despite the clear correlation to lower castes and the attacks, they’re not a majority. According to our census, Eights, Sevens, Sixes, and Fives combined outnumber upper castes 8:1.” He started to pass a report with a pie chart around the table as he continued. 

“That’s roughly 88% of the entire Amestris population, and so far the attacks have yielded an estimated 7% only to be a part of rebellion efforts.”

“That’s still  _ thousands _ of our citizens conspiring to overthrow the King,” Raven pointed out, taking the sheet flippantly before passing it to Roy. 

“And that’s still _hundred_ _thousands_ of lower castes that are completely innocent.” Grumman said. The prince took the paper from Raven and immediately shot Grumman an appreciative look. This man was a genius.

Most of the councilmen were eager to initiate any sort of military strike against the lower castes in the name of rebellion control, but they couldn’t do that until they had a group with enough incriminating evidence to focus on- Grumman had just passed around a report that diminished that agenda to dirt. He hadn’t used the one that separated specific castes, only divided the upper and lower in half, and even included an ‘unregistered’ portion. Most likely, those could be descendants of Eights never recorded, but the sliver of grey in the pie chart along with the sliver of upper caste marked as offenders helped Roy’s argument immensely. Not to mention that the largest portion of the entire pie chart was the huge wedge of lower castes marked innocent; combining the Eights, Sevens, Sixes, and Fives together to achieve such a clear visual correlation was brilliant.

Roy heard his father make a noncommittal noise as he took the papers for himself. 

“Councilman Grumman,” Bradley addressed, “Do you have the report detailing the castes individually? As well as one referencing all of our  _ demographics _ ?”

Roy tensed. What exactly was his father trying to do?

“Of course, your majesty.” Grumman hesitated, giving another paper a rueful glance before passing it. Roy got along with the older man well, he was one of the only council members that wasn’t constantly trying to bite off his head, so to see Grumman falter was unnerving. As head of Community Development, Grumman was usually left to district zoning and housing, but he had to know population groups like the back of his hand. If he thought something would show as incriminating….

“Aha!” Fox grinned, looking pleased. Roy got his hands on the report just before the man spoke. 

“Ishvalans. I knew there had to be something.” 

“Yes, it does appear that Ishvalans have comprised most of the attackers so far.” Bradley noted, the edge of his lip twisting slightly. “It would make the most sense that they’re leading the lower caste rebellions, seeing as their people were stripped of their country by Amestris very long ago. In light of this new information, we perhaps should begin drafting some policies to discourage them.”

Roy drew his eyebrows together; this couldn’t be right.

Grumman had a similar expression. “Well, yes, it does appear that way. However, I believe that it should be noted that Ishvalans make up most of our Sevens as it is- not to mention, they hail from the south and-”

Roy thought on those words carefully as Bradley cut him off with the shake of his head. 

“I don’t see how that pertains to this matter.”

But it had to. Grumman wouldn’t have mentioned it at all if it didn’t. 

“Hold on a minute,” The prince said, getting the room’s attention. Then Roy realized it.

“The Ishvalans are only part of the  _ southern _ rebellion. Their group is generally nonviolent- especially in comparison to the atrocities in the north- and they’ve only laid siege on government buildings. Even still, they can’t be the ones  _ funding _ the attacks, so to waste our resources on penalizing them-”

Bradley shot Roy a sidelong look, and his eyebrow twitched. “Are you implying that the south’s destruction of multiple public facilities is any less terroristic than the north’s civilian attacks?”

“Of course not, your majesty,” The prince returned, but it hardly mattered anymore by that point- he was as good as blown up. At least there was some dignity in stepping on an explosion on purpose rather than by accident, right? 

“However,” Roy pressed on, “The north has by far been the more problematic group, so I see no reason to ail the Ishvalans in the south who are merely carrying out the deeds just as the Amestrians are in the north. I believe that we have the specific numbers on casualties caused by both sides to support this; Councilmen Grand?”

The Head of Military huffed, but posed no further resistance to the prince’s request. He wasn’t exactly on Roy’s side most of the time like Grumman, but he was a decent man that believed in justice and took honor in his chivalry. Grand passed his file, filled with reports that came straight from the front lines, down the table.

“Yes.” He cleared his throat. “A lot of civilian and military casualties have been the result of the Drachma sponsored rebellion group, while the southern group has remained mostly blood free-”

“Councilmen Grand.” Bradley interjected. Right as Roy was about to get his hands on the file, his father snatched it away. 

“I appreciate you corroborating this information, though any group of rebels we can identify to stop, we should.” Bradley said, smoothly clasping his hands together over the folder. “What do the numbers look like with you, Councilmen Raven? Perhaps we should leave this up to the public opinion.”

Roy refrained from reacting, keeping his head high and shoulders squared, though he couldn’t do anything about the looks he garnered from those who caught the outright rejection. Despite the pitying gaze from Grumman and the smug ones from Klemin and Fox, he couldn’t bring himself to feel too bothered by them, something of much greater concern plaguing his thoughts instead. Such dismissive acts from his father weren’t out of the norm, but there was something deeper with this scathing cut that left his skin feeling bristled; Bradley was hiding something.

Raven only nodded, reaching for his reports but not even sparing them a glance. 

“As we previously discussed, much of Amestris is unaware of the southern rebel attacks and of the proxy front with Drachma in the north. The primary towns affected are on the border and include Fexief, Welosl, and Datepuj. Thanks to the Selection, overall public opinion has increased immensely and the economy has even shown improvement.”

“We’ve also gained more support from our international benefactors from Xing and Creta, being as there are Selected descendant of them.” Fox drly offered, being the Head of International Affairs. 

Bradley nodded. “I see. That should serve us well for now. In the meantime, let us continue collecting more information so that we can properly apprehend these rebellion groups soon. We’ll need to have a plan of action by the time it gets out to the general public that there are growing factions out to dismantle the government. Councilmen Raven, Grand, Edison- keep a close eye on the Ishvalans; they seem to be a good start.”

The King then stood with his hands behind his back. “Meeting adjourned.”

“Yes, your majesty.” Everyone bowed. Roy was subjugated to do the same, and he rose to helplessly watch all of the folders and reports passed up to the head of the table, straight to Bradley. He could reach out to them now, if he wanted to, but to do so would be more than inane. The councilmen began to leave the large room and Bradley gestured for his secretary to carry the stack. 

“Take those to my office.” He ordered. Roy watched as all of the knowledge was permanently ripped from his grasp, disappearing behind a small back of a servant who was unknowingly taking the secrets to be forever guarded by the king’s desk. 

“Father, I-”

Bradley only held up a hand to silence him. “I do not have the time to hear your insistent whines at the moment.” The king turned to fully face him and his eyes were cold. “I’ve already told you, you are not ready to handle all of the country’s affairs- and this rebellion nonsense should not be your concern.  _ Your _ focus should be on-” 

“The Selection. I’m quite aware.” Roy said, but the look that garnered from the king made his mouth snap shut. Bradley leveled him down for a moment, his gaze narrowing. 

“Not only that.” The king finally continued. He grabbed his coat and began to make his way to his office. Roy knew to wait a few paces before he followed. 

“Additionally, you need to stay on top of the trading project with Aerugo that I’ve assigned to you.”

Roy kept his gaze forward even as he was suddenly inclined to watch the floor. He was exhausted, but he couldn’t let that show. 

“As I’ve already let you know,” The prince sighed, “I am waiting on the reply from Aerugo’s international relations committee for us to be able to continue forward with the terms of agreement.”

Bradley got to his office and strode to his desk. Roy could spot the files from the meeting already there, placed dutifully by the efficient maid, but his father instead grabbed a different pile that was twice at large. He turned to him and gave him a frozen smile.    
“Not anymore. These came in today.” 

The king dumped the papers in Roy’s arms unceremoniously. It only took one glance to confirm that they were indeed the trade negotiation documents with Aerugo, the stack filled with translation notes and numbers.

“I suggest you get this completely finished as soon as possible. After all, it’ll be a big day for you and the Selection tomorrow with the first Central Report; have it out of the way by then.”

Roy’s expression tightened, but he managed to suppress the outright grimace. “Completing all of these forms will take the rest of the day.”

Bradley appeared completely unmoved. He had to know it was unreasonable to expect Roy to finish it all by tonight, but if he already decided that was to be done... then there was not much to do about it. 

“I was under the impression that you wanted the evenings you allotted for me to be strictly for the Selection and the Selection only,” Roy tried anyway, not letting the subtle accusation in pointing out his father’s hypocrisy show in his tone. “I could maintain those expectations of yours along with my duties if you could give me only a few more days to work with the project.” 

“There’s no need. Since this is the case, for today only you’re to be excused from dining with the Selected.” The king dismissed. 

Roy didn’t even have the chance to question further as the door to Bradly’s office suddenly parted open. 

“What’s this about missing dinner?” The queen inquired, walking into the office. She was holding Selim by the hand, who seemed secretly delighted about it as always. Despite being nearly 10, no one seemed to care about how he was still being babied, and of course Bradly's expression completely melted at seeing them both. 

“The Selected will have to stand to not see their prince for an evening, I’m afraid. He has a lot of work to do today.” He explained, greeting his wife with a chaste kiss. Selim tugged his sleeve to demand a kiss for himself, and the action only made the king laugh and crouch down to comply. Roy did his best to try not to think about how doing such a ‘needy and improper’ thing would’ve conversely gotten him back handed as a child himself. 

His subtle ache of jealousy was so familiar that it was really rather pathetic. 

“Roy, dear,” The queen smiled at him and patted his cheek. “Don’t overexert yourself too much. Selim and I will keep an eye on the Selected for you, so don’t worry about missing dinner with them.”

Her eyes, like always, were kind and gentle, so Roy couldn’t help but return her smile. 

“Thank you so much. I appreciate it.” He said truthfully. 

She nodded, tightening her shawl around herself, and turned back to Bradley. 

“I just wanted to let you know…” She started, handing him an envelope with a seal from Xing. 

Amestris had been trying to gain a proper alliance with Xing for the past few years, as currently only the railroads and trading had the two countries civil, and conversation about it has remained much the same since the start, so Roy didn’t pay much mind to her words as his attention was instead caught by Selim. The small boy was looking up at him with that expression he always wore when regarding him- innocently curious and wary. 

They weren’t close, Roy at the height of his sovereign work and training when the boy was born, and the generation gap left little to be sought out in the few moments they were able to interact together. Most of their exchanges were over shared meal times and consisted of Selim announcing to Roy his opinion on a certain food, but the boy was strangely almost cautious of him outside the dining setting. 

It was as if he could  _ feel _ the way Roy became when he was working -tired and stressed and tense enough to crack his own spine with how guarded and defensive he was- and didn’t want to be anywhere near the bottled up energy. 

The prince always thought he hid it well, but he supposed children really did have a sixth sense sometimes. He decided to try to circumvent the barrier anyway.

“Why, hello there little prince. Have you been treating your mother well?” He smiled, slightly crouching to meet his eye level. Selim vigorously nodded, but bit his thumbnail on the hand that wasn’t in the queen’s for a moment as if unsure about something. He squinted as if deeply considering a thought, so Roy raised his eyebrows in an obvious prompt for the question.

“Yes?” 

“Do you know who you’re going to marry yet?” 

Roy didn’t expect that at all, so it took him a moment to gather himself and suppress the surprise in his expression. 

“Oh. I wish I did, but I unfortunately don’t have much of a clue.” He forced a helpless laugh at the end, and Selim dropped his thumb back to his side as he took that in.

“That makes sense,” He said after a while, nodding sagely. It was quite a humorous face for such a young boy. “I think it should be someone smart.” He offered. 

“Why, yes. I agree.” Roy didn’t need to force the smile he had anymore. “Anything else I should keep in mind?”

Selim practically perked up at the question, whatever previous hesitation he had far gone. He stood straighter and took a moment to look deep in thought.

“They should be nice to animals and like desserts and they should also be cool.”

“Be cool?”

Selim idly kicked one of his legs back and forth, dragging the shoe on the carpet. “Uh-huh. Cool like that one actor in the superhero movies. They can do flips and stuff and punch people.”

Roy couldn’t even help hiding his grin anymore. “Really? Which movies are those?- I don’t think I’ve seen the new ones.”

Selim gasped. “Would you like to see them? It’s a new series so the effects and explosions are really good!” He was bouncing on the balls of his heels now, but that only made the inevitable all that worse. 

“Ah,” Roy sighed, his lungs physically hurting from the breath. “I’m so sorry. I’m really quite busy at the moment. Maybe some other time?”

The familiar feeling of deja vu he got as he said the phrase wasn’t even humorous anymore. Roy almost expected Selim to pout or whine, which would’ve been understandable really, but surprisingly the boy’s expression only shifted to blank indifference. “Oh...Alright. I understand.” 

Roy could see the disappointment clear as day despite the young boy’s best efforts, and although it hurt he found himself strangely relieved. Selim was too young to be well versed in acting as if stone. Roy wouldn’t want him to be; to be like him. 

The queen lightly tugged on Selim’s hand, having finished her conversation with her husband. “Love, let us leave your brother and father alone to work now.” She cooed to Selim, leading him to the door. He waved and beamed at the king, his expression only sobering slightly as he shyly waved goodbye to Roy. All things considered, it hadn’t been the most estranged way they’ve left one other. 

Bradley sat down at his desk once they left, and Roy knew better than to wait for an invitation. “I shall go to my own office and get to work at once then.” He curtly bowed, excusing himself. 

“Wait a moment.” Bradley stopped him, gesturing for him to come closer. 

Roy took the steps near his desk with trepidation, putting his pile of papers down on a nearby chair, and braced himself. His father was slouching back, his fingers caressing his temple in an obvious tell of a headache, and sighed. It was always a gamble when he was like this; although he was no longer hiding his true emotions to mask his exhaustion, neither would he bother to hide his anger. Roy hoped he’d only continued to see the former. 

“How have things been?”

Roy blinked. “Pardon?”

“With the Selection.” Bradley clarified. Roy tried to process that and just watched as his father took out a bottle of liquor and glasses out of a drawer of his desk.

“I’m... sorry?” Roy tried to not let the full extent of his confusion at the question show. Bradley just made a deep noncommittal noise as he poured two cups and offered one. 

“Thank you…” He muttered, accepting the drink. They rarely spoke casually together, but his father bringing alcohol into it was a telltale sign. Roy didn’t know why the notion that Bradley intended to get personal unnerved him more than the thought of the king being strict and political with him. 

“I mean how have things been with you and the candidates? Is there anyone yet that’s…” He paused, taking a moment to drink before continuing, gesturing with the glass in his hand. “...stood out yet? Caught your eye?”

Roy’s gaze faltered, flickering to various parts of the floor before settling on the amber liquid in his cup. 

“Oh, well… Certainly. There’s been a few…” He idly watched how the light reflected on the liquor as he swirled it with the smallest movements in his wrist. Bradley nodded to himself. 

“It seemed as much. Taking Lust and Ling out already in particular has been a fine choice for garnering supporters.” 

Of course, that was his father’s main goal with the Selection: support. Lust was a descendant of Creta nobles just as Ling was of Xing, so to consider them politically sponsored would be an understatement. Even the timing of the Selection itself was in the name of gaining support. Bradley  _ knew _ the rebellion factions would worsen more throughout the years, and he specifically held Roy back from starting the competition until the unrest was at its peak to take advantage of the wonders it would do for public satisfaction. Strategic placating, he called it. It was a bitter reminder that burned worse than the alcohol to swallow down. 

Had it been up to Roy, he would’ve had the Selection as soon as he turned 18. 

“Taking Lust and Ling out was not politically based at all.” Roy dryly countered. It was mostly the truth.

“Ah. So you found them genuinely attractive?” 

“Interesting.” He corrected, “I found them quite interesting.” 

That was even less than mostly-the-truth as the last thing, but he wasn’t quite drunk enough to be inclined to confess his romantic desires at anyone at the moment, let alone his father. It was no secret though that Lust was female sexuality to a point, so he really couldn’t be faulted for that, and Roy could always appreciate men like Ling with lean builds and small waists. The other candidates he'd already taken out too, revealed a clear trend in what Roy found alluring. Despite not being nearly as curvy, Lyra had that petite frame that he personally found to exude far more elegance than any busty figure could, and one of the first things he realized growing up was that he was helpless of the notion of having a partner smaller than him. Greed and Kimblee were still attractive in their own right, as they were able to appeal to Roy’s appreciation of fitness and physical power- so overall, he did well in keeping his choices of the Selected he took out first based on his own tastes rather than on any politics. 

His father seemed doubtful.

“So the dates you went on with those two, they went well?” 

Roy nearly choked on the liquor he was downing at the prompt. The date with Lust was… no. Just no. He didn’t want to think about what happened with  _ her _ at the moment. Ling, on the other hand, he had barely talked to that morning. He had found him still in Izumi’s class, talking away to his group as if he had not the slightest work to do, and Ling jumped at joining Roy for lunch despite confessing that he ‘didn’t do any of the assignment’. He was surprisingly candid and laid back for a Two, which was rather refreshing, but he had also kept stealing food from his plate. 

“They went…” He cleared his throat, but his mess up already was garnering a skeptical look from Bradley and a sting running down his throat. “They went fine. It was alright.”

“You’re serious…” Bradley seemingly realized after a moment. “About the Selection. You’re actually taking out the ones you already personally like the most so far.”

Roy couldn’t help but frown. “Why wouldn’t I take the Selection seriously?”

As much as the competition was a show for public approval and support, it was also his real chance to find love with a person he’d spend the rest of his life with. Historically the Selection process itself has always mattered more or less based on the sovereign’s own priorities, but even the heirs that were openly getting ‘intimate’ with all of the candidates and taking advantage of the harem would ultimately settle down with the one they preferred with temperament over body. Bradley only sighed again. 

“I only find the notion a little concerning.” His father completely put his glass down and folded his hands together. “I know I’ve warned you before, but I’ll say it again- you need to still consider your partner in regards to the good of the entire country.”

Roy determinedly kept his expression neutral. “Don’t all of the candidates you and the council chose out automatically qualify as being good enough for the country?”

They both knew… that wasn’t true. 

As much as Roy wished for it, the Selection was really all about getting the people’s support. He knew well enough that many of the candidates were chosen based on public influence, and he did his best to eliminate most of those right away, but there were a few he knew he couldn’t touch before letting them stay at least a while. Just as some Selected were placed for no reason other to please the influential upper castes of Amestris, a few were specifically placed to sedate the lower castes. They were known among the court as ‘throwaways’, being the lower caste candidates would have already served their purpose just by being chosen for the Selection, and they were never meant to genuinely stay. Despite knowing that his father would disapprove of it, Roy specifically kept them for that reason anyway. The only issue was-

“That Five…” Bradley shook his head, “You can’t be serious about him.” His tone was disbelieving, almost on the edge of a question. 

“You mean Edward?” Roy asked, forcing himself to not sound defensive at all. His father downed the rest of his glass and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he was disappointed, which didn’t help the prince hide his offense in the slightest. 

“Please tell me that it’s merely an aesthetic fancy?” 

“An aesthetic fancy?” Roy repeated incredulously.

Of course Edward was aesthetically pleasing, there was no question about it. In fact, he was undeniably gorgeous. He was iridescent- all shades of copper and bronze in the dark while simultaneously brilliantly golden in the light- and his hair and eyes rivaled the sun itself in their luminosity and beauty. Roy had never seen such coloring before, and he was more than allured to the exotic appearance. To say the least, Roy’s attraction to Edward was instant. 

But the way in which his father demeaningly said those words… It stirred something angry deep within Roy’s gut. He tried to not visibly clench his fist. 

“Why yes, I fancy him aesthetically very much, though that is  _ far _ from the only thing about him that’s desirable.”

Bradley’s gaze narrowed at the rather blunt retort, but he otherwise didn’t look too bothered. “If that is what you want, then I cannot do much to stop you. While the Selected is in proceeding, do with him what you please, of course. I only want you to anticipate settling with a much more…  _ conventional _ spouse in the end.”

Roy nearly cracked the glass with how hard he was holding it. 

“‘Conventional’ spouse?” He choked, “What on earth is not ‘conventional’ about Edward? He’s strikingly brilliant, you already heard from Izumi herself that he’s doing the best in class, and I’d daresay he’d make a better sovereign than most of the Twos in this competition.”

“He’s a Five. I need not to tell you what that means.”

Like a fire flooded by water, Roy’s anger completely extinguished at that. Bradley had said it with resignation, and despite not being able to detect it, the prince knew there was sadness in that. 

“ _ Your _ mother,” He started, the emphasis on ‘your’ confirming Roy’s dread, “Was my first true love. The moment I saw her in the Selection, I already knew I wanted her by my side for eternity. I did not care that she was a Five.”

Roy swallowed. “I know… Father, you don’t have to-”

“Casey stayed true to her background and always insisted she do things herself, without any guards or servants. In granting her that wish to leave her be when she’d walk the gardens alone is still my deepest regret. No one could get to her on time when the castle was attacked.”

Roy stared down at his liquor, the familiar story still invoking something despairing in his chest- a gaping hole for the mother he never had nor properly knew. He had only been but an toddler. 

Unlike usual, the castle had not been attacked by either the northern or southern rebels, but instead a small upper caste supremacist faction. They were easily tracked down and imprisoned, but the damage had been done, and they had successfully gotten away with murdering the queen of Amestris. The protest of a lower caste actually becoming the sovereign had been expected, but it had never happened before -she even had a fair amount of support and love from the people- so no one had expected her life to be in danger as drastically as it was. The Central Report had it covered it up to instead be a death from sudden sickness, and most of the country was in genuine grief, but Roy would never forget the whispered platitudes of relief when Bradley remarried to the daughter of a nobleman Two a few years later. He’d never been more disgusted with his own country as he had been then.

“I knew there would be people, powerful people, that would revolt at the marriage, and my own father even warned me. I did not heed his advice.” Bradley’s gaze and tone went dark. “Do not make that same mistake.” 

Roy wanted to argue, wanted to reason that times were changing and that they’d be better prepared and that he’d make the people accept it, but doing so in front of his father now would seem childish. Secretly though he hoped -no, he  _ believed _ \- that it wouldn’t ever come to that again. If there was one thing he was more determined to do than make Amestris a better place, it was to find the true love of his life. He wasn’t about to let  _ anything _ , let alone castes, get in the way of that.

“I…” Roy put his glass down, “I will keep that in mind.” He answered honestly. “As for now, however, I believe I best be getting to work.” 

Bradley nodded, not looking at him as he poured himself another glass.

At least that explained the king’s foul mood. There’d be random days when he’d think about the late queen, and Roy should’ve figured that was the case if Bradley was willing to talk as father and son rather than as king and prince for the first time in ages. Those genuine moments were rare, but still disheartening all the same. Roy couldn’t help but wonder how things would’ve been different had Casey never been murdered. His mother was like the tattered link that scarcely held him and Bradley together, the connection faltering and forced. It was no coincidence that his father only opened up to him when talking about her, and it felt as if Roy’s mother was the only emotional and sentimental thing they could share.

Besides her, Bradley was more often than not cold and detached, and Roy found himself alone. 

With that existence and fate plaguing his heart, how could he not take the Selection seriously?

Marriage was supposed to be reserved for couples who cared about one another, who swore to always be by their side, who loved and cherished and  _ accepted _ . It felt just as naive as it sounded in his head, but Roy couldn’t help but desperately hold onto the wish. It was the one thing he wanted, after all... 

To not be alone anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy reacting to what he finds the most aesthetically attractive:  
> Roy *sees Lust*: bootyfil lashes uwu  
> Roy *sees Lyra*: smol and kewt >w<  
> Roy *sees Greed*: fit af o///o  
> Roy *sees Kimblee*: silky hair >o>  
> Roy *sees Winry*: blondies bro ovo  
> Roy *sees Ling*: snatched waist owo  
> Roy *sees Edward*: oh sHIT aLl Of tHe ABovE 
> 
> Jk, sorry, I know this was chap sad ;-; Like I made*myself* sad writing this ripp. Roy needs a hug! Also I hope I was able to demonstrate Roy's relationships with his family with more 'show' than 'tell' (though I know I definitely described some parts straight-up), and I hope his discernible narrated 'voice' is slightly different than Edward's. I forget to mention most of the time, but I'd love any constructive feedback on my writing if y'all notice anything wACK that I could improve!  
> Also, can I just sit down with you all for a moment *sits criss-cross on a circle carpet* and just have a heart-to-heart with you all about the comments you leave?! They're so amazing! Like, I will appreciate *any* comment of course, even the simple 'nice chap!' kind of comments I adore, but can I just say how heckin WONDERFUL it is that so many of you leave such insightful and elaborated comments??? ;w; I love hearing y'all actual *thoughts* and it's so cool to see what things you all collectively decide to react on and think about and I just *gestures everywhere helplessly* I can't express how much I love you guys for it!! >w< Just, thank you so much guys ;v;   
> Also!! I intended Friday morning to be in Roy's perspective, and I obviously didn't get that far, so one more chap from his view! Then we'll go back to Ed and I'll probably only flip between the two when important p l o t is happening that only one of the boys can see, like in this chapter. Geez it's been way to long but our boys are GUARANTEED to interact next chapter! Thank goodness, I miss writing the two idiots bumble around one another lol   
> Hopefully I will see you all again soon! Lots of love! <3


	15. A Song and A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘Edward Elric,’ he thought, ‘What in the world are you doing to me?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liveeeeee! For real guys, I appreciate all of your patience immensely. Happy late 2021!!! Life has just been crazy, and in between these chapters, I've got my driver's license, registered my car, applied to colleges (6), got accepted to colleges (4 so far, results for the others isn't until April hhhnnngggn), and somehow not die in online school, haha. Scholarship applications still got me fucked up, but hopefully I can get better back into this because this is seriously my favorite thing ever ;w; I love writing this story because coming back every once in a while to read the comments just makes my day a million times over- I swear you guys unknowingly got me through so many rough days these past few months. Thank you ;v;
> 
> Psst. Here's a link to a special certain song; those who enjoyed the FMA dub as much as the sub (because let's be honest, FMA is one of the best anime English dubs I've ever heard) will immediately recognize Edward's voice. To those who haven't gotten to enjoy both yet, this might not have the same impact but it's at least definitely a good song! In this AU, the story of a song is just a well known 'folktale', but of course we know the truth, lol. Feel free to look up solo harp covers (there's plenty) afterward too! Play it whenever you feel like, but I'd recommend reading this chapter and waiting to the point that it happens. You'll know it when you get there ;)))))  
> *slides link over on a folded piece of paper all mysterious like we be passing notes in class* (lol)  
> https://youtu.be/FfAEMal84ag
> 
> Without further ado- here's the next installment of this story! Please enjoy <3

“Pardon?” Roy stopped, trying not to sound too bewildered. 

He was exhausted and drained, having worked for hours non stop on the Aerugo trade forms, and had barely made his way back to his quarters- the last thing he had expected was to find his room’s stationed guard panicking to the brink of delirium. 

Roy had to take a moment to try to recall the boy’s name- he had been recruited and assigned to his suite recently, and, although tall, he seemed much too frail and skittish to be a soldier. His hands were flying, and his voice was squeaking as he rambled, sounding on the brink of tears.

“Ashe,” Roy remembered. “Ashe, slow down.”

The boy froze like a deer caught in headlights.

“Y-yes, your highness, sir.” He saluted, utterly oblivious to the fact that Roy hadn’t called him to attention at all. The prince sighed. Oh boy. 

“At ease. Now, please, could you start from the beginning?”

“WellIwasoverherestandingbyyourdoorandthen-”

“Slow down,” Roy repeated. It was taking wonders not to let the irritation show through when he was moments away from finally getting to _sleep_ had it not been for this. Ashe took a deep breath. 

“Ahem- um. So sorry…”

Roy closed his eyes and nodded in dismissal. “It’s quite alright. Take your time to explain.”

“Oh, o-okay. Well, it all started today when I was assigned by your door, see, and then Rubert -you know the guy, right?- came here escorting a Selected saying that he was trying to see you and t-then-”

Roy’s lethargic weight dissipated instantly, and his eyes went wide.

“A Selected was looking for me?” 

“Yes, your h-highness, but I tried to tell him that you were probably busy and in your office, but h-he starting making _threats_ to beat people up, and I didn’t know what to d-do and-”

Ashe was looking devastated. The way he was ducking his head low now made it obvious that he was more afraid of Roy at the moment than anything.   
“Relax. I’m not going to be upset with you. Please, just tell me what happened.” 

“Oh, thank goodness.” He sagged. “I am sorry though- there was nothing I could really do, you see. Rubert kind of just left the Selected with me, and I didn’t know what to tell him- he just kept saying that it was imperative to see you immediately and-”

“Was anything wrong?”

Ashe paused, his eyebrows creasing. “Well, actually, I tried asking him, and he kept saying it was nothing even though he was clearly upset about _something_ and… Oh, I don’t know, your highness. It was very bizarre.” 

“I see, I see.” Roy nodded along, trying to sound as unalarmed as possible. His heart was already speeding up at the slew of ‘worst-case-scenarios’ flitting through his head. Was it someone who wanted to leave? He had made it clear to each Selected that he wouldn’t act on the contract barring them from such, and he had let them all know that all they had to do was ask if they wanted to go home. Just because he’d stay true to his word didn’t mean he was happy to, though. Even if it had nothing to do with the prince, such as a Selected being homesick, the thought of one asking to leave felt like a ‘you’re-not-good-enough’ slap in the face. 

Roy braced himself and lightly shook his head. Now was not the time to be sensitive.

“Who was the Selected that wanted to speak with me?”

Ashe frowned and looked up at the ceiling. “Oh, his name was something refined sounding. He had long golden hair too, and I nearly panicked because I thought he was a Two. Then he started cussing and yelling up a storm, and I realized he wasn’t one because he didn’t threaten my job either. It was still scary, though.”

Roy’s eyes widened. Could it be? Only one person he knew fit that description, and that had to be-

“Edward?”

“Oh, yeah!” Ashe perked up. “I knew it was something European sounding.” 

The prince felt something inside him deflate entirely. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep now. 

“So what happened afterward?” He pressed, trying not to sound as dire as he felt.

“He just went back to his room, still looking upset, I think. Oh! But he told me to tell you to see him as soon as possible, your highness.”

Roy was already checking his pocket watch, only to immediately have to suppress a scowl. It was past midnight. Regardless of what Edward said, the prince was pretty sure waking him up in the middle of the night would only upset him further. 

Oh, God, he was _upset_. 

Roy knew they left off on rocky terms, to say the least, but he didn’t think it was bad enough to make Edward want to leave. Well, he couldn’t know for sure that that was what he wanted to talk about, but what else could it be? Either way, it couldn’t have been anything good, judging by the guard’s condition retelling the tale. 

Ashe was regarding him carefully, still wary of what reaction he might have, it seemed.

Roy sighed, exhausted. “Thank you for telling me, Ashe. I will have to see him as soon as I can in the morning. It’d be quite rude to wake up any Selected now at this hour.”

The guard looked relieved. “Sounds good, your highness.” 

Roy nodded back and handed him the folders he had been holding this entire time. “Put these on my desk, please. I’m going to walk the gardens for a bit before turning in. I’ll be back soon.”

“Y-yes, your highness, but-” Ashe took the folders hastily, but the prince was walking away before he could voice any of his concern. Roy knew it was late, but walking was better than doing nothing awake in bed. 

As he made his way down the steps and long hallways, he couldn’t help but replay that crucial moment again in his mind. The moment when Edward had left him in the servant's wing.

Edward had just come out of the laundry room wearing an adorably oversized dress shirt and a scowl to match and, although Roy would never cease to appreciate the snug-fitting shirts the maids forced him to wear, there was something so candid and pure about it; The sleeves’ cuffs covered the palms of his hands, and the untucked tails made him look smaller. The image created a random sense of nostalgia for the prince, along with triggering something strangely protective, so he couldn’t help but press Edward into accepting his coat. Roy hadn’t intended to get as physically close as he did -he really didn’t- but the blond’s subtle scent only drew him closer. It had felt so instinctual and ordinary that he hadn’t realized it until he _felt_ Edward’s silent hitch of breath.

Roy’s obliviousness only worsened from there because their eyes met and something in his brain had just… froze. The light was brushing Edward’s face and turning the edge of his hair white, making a halo effect, and his eyes were so mesmerizing up close that Roy couldn’t help but stop. Edward’s were clearly gold, but to describe them only as such was an understatement of the highest degree- infinite shades of browns and _greens_ streaked through the iris, warm and cold hues intermingling so finely that they reminded the prince of watercolor. For the first time, Roy was noticing things he couldn’t see before. Things like how Edward’s lashes were more slanted than curled, which partially hid how thick they actually were, and how he had a tiny mole barely above the side of his jawline, a faded diagonal scar above an eyebrow, and how- holy God- how he had light freckles dusting over his cheekbones and bridge of his nose. 

“What?” Edward suddenly snapped, but it somehow sounded fuzzy and far away. It registered in the back of Roy’s mind, but he didn’t have a single line of thought regarding it for an answer or even a reaction.

It was like he was on autopilot or having an out-of-body dream when the prince instead saw himself bring up his hand to gently cup the blond’s chin.

“You…” Roy leaned closer, and Edward’s pupils actually _dilated_. 

Roy’s pretty sure that was the moment when the rest of his coherent brain decided to just walk out of his head and jump out a window.

He had started subconsciously using his ‘bed’ voice, he’s positive, but Edward’s reciprocating body language was _there_. It had to be because if there was one thing Roy knew for a fact he was good at, it was social cues. Or at least he had thought so.

Edward’s eyelashes had been fluttering, and he’d been biting his lip at one point even, but evidently, the prince must’ve missed something in translation, or entirely it seemed, because he had been completely startled out of his reprieve when the blond abruptly stepped back. 

It was like a spell had been broken, and suddenly the warm floating sensation was gone and replaced by panic as Roy slowly realized that Edward actually _didn’t_ want to kiss. 

“Edward, I-” The prince remembers trying to reach out to him, trying to apologize, but it was too late. Roy could only stand there and watch as the blond’s back disappeared behind the corner- as Edward ran away.

The prince couldn’t help but replay that instant over and over again in his mind because -goddammit- he really messed it up. Reading the blond had proven nearly impossible, and Roy had no idea how to approach him or his own feelings regarding the entire matter. Most Selected treated the ground he stood on as sacred and either awed or shied away at everything he did, while the rest were overacting to clearly impress or seduce him, and -truth be told- he was used to it. He knew how to swindle and sway and charm, but... for the first time, he didn’t know how to act. 

By now, he’d gotten to his favorite spot of the garden, the fountain hidden by hedges, and Roy slumped down on the bench with a sigh. He had been fearing the moment of having to see the blond again, considering things had been left off in an outright rejection, and he knew there would have to be a confrontation since Edward wouldn’t even look his way in the dining hall. One in which he would be asking to leave, though, Roy had never even considered. The prince bent forward and cradled his head in his hands, watching the water run from the fountain’s spout dejectedly.

God, he had no idea how he was going to fix this. 

* * *

“Here we are, your majesty.” Izumi stepped back and gestured to the small room. It was furnished plainly, only having two plush chairs and a single lamp table, and the walls were bare besides for the single window at the front.

“Ah,” Bradley hummed, walking inside. He kept his hands behind his back as he inspected the window while Roy and Izumi followed. “This brings back memories.” 

“It’s just as it was in your Selection.” Izumi agreed. 

From their vantage point, through the glass shone a clear view of a small auditorium. There were many theatres throughout the castle for various reasons, but it seemed this one was only reserved for one purpose. 

“The Selected will be arriving shortly. As you know, they won’t be able to see you through this one-way glass and are only expecting to be presenting to their peers.” Izumi lightly scowled to herself as she picked off some dust from the rim of a chair before continuing. “Would you or his highness like to survey the auditorium before we begin?”

Without even looking to Roy, King Bradley raised his hand as he shook his head. “There’s no need. I trust everything is perfect if it’s under your supervision, Ms. Curtis.”

Izumi brought the clipboard she had at her side up to her chest as she bowed. “Thank you, your majesty. If you would excuse me, I will be awaiting my students then.” 

“Very well.” 

Izumi began to walk out, but she paused when passing Roy to briefly touch his shoulder and give him a leveling look. She must be able to see it- the exhaustion and stress plaguing him like a disease. Roy always thought he covered it well with good grooming as posture, even Mrs.Bradley wouldn’t bat an eye, but somehow Izumi was the only one who still saw through it. For a moment, he was sure that she was going to say something about it, but instead, she moved on with a gentle squeeze and left the room. 

Considering that this was Izumi, the gesture was the sweetest thing Roy had experienced today.

“Your grandfather was the one to design this, you know,” Bradley said, lowering into his own chair. “He thought that there needed to be a way to get to know the Selected more honestly.”

He sounded strangely far away, and with an ache, the prince remembered their conversation from yesterday. When his father went through this same thing, Roy’s mother had also been here; she had been alive. 

“For your Selection or his own?” Roy asked in lieu of what was really on his mind. He sat down next to his father and just kept his eyes on the glass. 

“My own. However, he knew from his own experience that it would aid the process greatly.”

“And did it work?”

“Partially,” Bradley said. “To see how they carry themselves when they believe they’re in the presence of no royalty can be quite telling.”

Roy just absently nodded to that. It was true that he had actually been looking forward to this, unable to help the curiosity of what the Selected were like without the pressure to impress a prince, but now he just had a feeling bordering on indifference. The night the Selection results had come in, Roy had studied each Selected’s file as if his life depended on it, and he memorized every name, face, and caste to go with it. The last thing he felt for the competition was detachment because this _was_ important to him, but at the moment, it just felt impossible to muster up the enthusiasm he had used to have before. He was tired.

A part of his mind nagged in the background questioning whether he left anything out on the Aurgo trading forms, another part was still uneasy about whatever Bradley was hiding in those papers he took away in yesterday’s meeting, and what felt like a million other doubts and work demands were buzzing through his head. It was hard to shut it off sometimes, and to just live in the moment was a challenge. Usually, his responsibilities didn’t get to him this badly, but it must’ve been just one of those days.

Roy could’ve easily stayed stuck contemplating his musings for hours probably, but he was distracted from his thoughts when he saw the Selected begin trickling into the auditorium. It was strange because he knew they wouldn’t be able to see him behind the glass, but he couldn’t help but shift to fix his posture anyway. 

Some of the first ones were Twos, he noticed. Usually, he would’ve made an effort to gauge and mentally acknowledge each one, but today he instead tried to let himself relax and watch the scene before him openly. A long fwip of Lust’s dark hair caught his eye, and he followed the motion to see her and Greed already taking the seats up in the front. They looked to be in a conversation, but he didn’t miss the occasionally condensing smirks they shot behind them towards a group of Fours taking their seats. 

He figured many of the upper castes would be like this when he wasn’t watching, so he was so far unsurprised. 

Izumi was up in the front of the room, checking in with each one briefly. It wasn’t until she stopped to tell everyone to quiet down a bit when Roy realized the small auditorium was nearly full already and alive with chatter- though a certain someone was missing that the prince couldn’t help but notice.

Suddenly the prince was reminded of Edward and _his_ debacle. 

The reminder had Roy awash with dread as he remembered the situation from last night. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see Edward in the morning due to the presentations, and he had to just hope that whatever the blond was upset about wasn’t too severe or time-sensitive. And he had to _pray_ that Edward wasn’t planning on asking to leave.

But that was another matter entirely. 

“Edward,” He heard Izumi greet, and sure enough, there he was. The blond had come into his view a second later, in between the taller blondes that were Riza and Jean and looking even more gold than ever because of it. He said something to the tutor that Roy couldn’t catch before making his way with the group to find seats, and Roy could only try in vain to imagine what Edward was thinking right now. 

He looked to be in no distress, for the most part, which was a good sign, and he even grinned when Winry stood from her own seat and waved the group over. She plucked him down next to her and said something that made them all laugh, Edward included, so Roy didn’t know if he was allowed to feel relieved. The blond wouldn’t be smiling and laughing if he was dying to be home instead, right? 

“We will begin momentarily,” Izumi announced, stepping onto the stage. “Despite the venue, this is pretty casual, so any volunteers that would like to go first- please raise your hands.”

A fair amount of hands shot up instantly, and Izumi picked out one without even looking as she checked something on her clipboard. 

“You may go first.”

“Thank you!” Ling chirped as he stood up. Roy was a bit surprised to see the Two voluntarily go first, especially considering that he had told the prince himself that he hadn’t done anything for the assignment and would probably wing it. 

Despite that, he was completely lax as he made his way up to the stage, and he introduced himself with a Xingnese bow. Ling explained how he wrote poetry and even holiday cards, and he did the honors of reading one out loud for the class. It was surprisingly sweet and really genuine- though Roy had to admit that the love poem lost its magical touch once Ling confessed he wrote it after eating ‘the best dessert in his life.’ 

After everyone applauded, a girl with short brown hair shot up from her seat cheering, “I’ll go next!” and from there, the presentations went smoothly from one to the next by volunteers alone. She was a Three Roy remembered named Hazel. She talked about how she studied genetic modification on plants, which caught the prince’s attention for a while before immediately being poached by a Two named Felix; He showcased a clip from an action movie he co-directed with his mom. Another movie industry presentation came next from Greed, who presented every movie poster he was on the cover of, but Roy had to admit he hadn’t seen any of those R-rated movies before. It was probably a good thing.

Then some of the presentations got more elaborative with their props. Rose brought out tons of clay vases and bowls to show to the class, and she described how she made and sold all sorts of pottery for a living. Then Russel came out backstage with an entire cart full of ruby-red gems, and he used a camera projector to show everyone how they looked up close. He completely preened at the chorus of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’. 

As the show went on, Roy was surprised to find himself thoroughly enjoying each presentation. What he had feared to be another weight on his mind instead became a distraction from his stresses, and he even found himself appreciating each Selected a bit more. Even the expected presentations, such as Lust unabashedly showing her pinup magazine covers, had Roy still seeing another side of the person. Like when he got to see Riza -who’s usually so stiff around him- smile for the first time as she went through a slide show about her Shiba Inu puppy she’s got the train for her military post, and like when Paninya talked passionately about the man who took her in and how she helped him run his shop. Suddenly the Selected became more than just suitors to the throne; they become _people_. No one was trying to impress or seduce him -no one even knew he was watching- and it made all the difference in their behavior. Roy felt blessed to get to see their flaws and interests for what could be the only time in this cursed competition. Some people were obviously shy and stuttered, but they got up and bravely presented voluntarily anyway, and others who were usually reserved around the prince conversely broke out with charisma and excitement so much so that the entire auditorium was in laughter at times. 

Even Bradley chuckled at one point, and it would’ve been eerie had Roy not been so entertained himself that he completely didn’t realize how many presentations they’d gone through. And then suddenly it was Edward who was going up the stage. The servants picked up the projector slide from the last presentation and rolled out a harp, and the instrument’s gold sheen caught the stage lights in a dazzling display. It wasn’t nearly as dazzling, however, as the blond who stepped forward in the limelight. 

“Hey. So, I’m Edward Elric and-”

The Selected have been loosening up more and more since the start, so it somehow became perfectly socially acceptable and even expected when Winry and Jean hooted from the crowd. There were some chuckles, and Edward shot the two a look like he couldn’t decide between trying to not laugh himself or telling them to shut up -fondly exasperated and amused- before he continued on.

“As I was saying,” He said pointedly, making some laugh, and Winry duck her head, “I turned 18 last month, I live with my brother and mom, and, um, my favorite cereal is Cocoa Puffs.” He grinned at the reaction that got. Ever since Jean -obviously- winged his presentation, he forgot what introduction facts he needed to say at first and unironically mentioned his favorite cereal, which of course, made everyone laugh. The next presenter, a girl named Crystal, playfully followed his lead and included it in hers. That just made it become silently accepted as something everyone would mention for their introduction afterward. Roy thought it was the cutest thing, -even Kimblee participated in the new tradition- and now they were even getting into rivalries between which cereal was superior, so Edward’s declaration of siding with Cocoa Puffs got enthusiastic cheers and jesting boos alike.

“Lucky Charms are better!” Someone shouted.

“Shut up, Russell.”

Surprisingly, Izumi continued to let the Selected practically run the show and even looked to be hiding a smile behind her clipboard, and Edward himself was still grinning as he went on. “I’m a freelance musician, and I do a ton of gigs, so I’m not really specialized in anything. I’m the best at string instruments, though. But instead of just talking about that for a few minutes, I figured instead I could just play something.”

There was some applauding at that, and Roy couldn’t deny the impulse to lean forward in anticipation as Edward finally sat at the stool and took hold of the harp at the center of the stage. 

“This song is based on the _Bratja_ folktale.” He said. His voice had already gone softer, still warm but no longer in that offhand casual tone he was using before. He ran his fingers down all the notes a few times to adjust the tuning, but the change in his demeanor and in the atmosphere must’ve been palpable because all the Selected went abruptly silent. 

Shifting slightly, Edward leaned the instrument on his right shoulder -the one facing away from the audience- and his golden ponytail naturally fell across the other with the dip of his head. That single moment, the gleam of gold on gold along with the slow, elegant raise of his hands, had Roy already forgetting everything besides what was in front of him. 

Edward took a deep breath, letting his eyelashes flutter close, and he looked so relaxed that even Roy felt like he had to hold his breath just to not disturb the air, and then-

He began to play. 

It was soft, it was gentle, and had it not been for Roy already seeing Edward play guitar before, he would have been gobsmacked. Edward was a lot of things, but ‘passive’ was not one of them in any means. He was rash and blunt, to the point of being crass or even oblivious, he was exceedingly brilliant and righteous- and he was also so reserved and defensive to the point that the constant doubt and mistrust plaguing his eyes even pained the prince. To see him go so mellow and serene almost felt like an impossibility, and, judging by the hush of the crowd, the Selected all must’ve been thinking something similar.

Edward’s bangs swayed with the tilts of his head, and his wrists elegantly flicked as his fingers danced across the strings, creating one of the most beautiful melodies Roy’s ever heard. And then he parted his lips.

And he began to sing. 

Roy sat there in disbelief for a moment, because if Edward’s presence became softer by playing, singing just made him absolutely ethereal. The small auditorium made his voice delicately echo and reverberate in the prettiest way, and, when the notes dipped, a slightly raspy quality of his voice showed through that somehow just made the melody sound all the smoother. He was gorgeous. 

Roy was barely picking up the lyrics, much too familiar with the _Bratja_ story -a tragic folktale of two brothers- to hear much of the actual words, as it was almost nothing compared to the subtle yet powerful _emotion_ Edward gave them. It was a silent pain, a small quiver, but it mesmerized Roy to no end to simply listen and bathe in it. 

It was as if music truly was the only time Edward let down his walls; it was as if it was the only time he let his sorrow be heard.

And it made Roy’s heart ache. 

It was like an endless trance that just pulled the prince deeper into oblivion, and a part of him was almost upset with how awestruck he was. 

How dare he. How dare Edward be tenaciously unpredictable, exuberantly bright, and staggeringly sharp. Roy felt like he was constantly misstepping, stumbling back and forward over again when it came to him, and he couldn’t deny he hated losing control. Edward took all his shields and trampled over them without even trying -without even knowing- and yet burned so vibrantly that Roy was afraid to try to touch him. He was almost too piercing, too scintillating- and then he went and pulled this?

Now he was almost too delicate, too vulnerable, and everything about him that Roy thought he understood went flying away in the wind. Edward’s voice shook on some words, his lashes fluttered even with his eyes closed, and he somehow looked like he could break into a million pieces on that stage.

All too soon, his voice faded, his fingers slowed, and the song ended. For the first time since sitting down, he looked out into the audience and smiled. This time it was sheepish, almost timid, and Roy was certain he wouldn’t survive the Selection if he kept this up. There was applause, and Edward was leaving the stage, but it was all muffled to Roy’s ears as he leaned forward and closed his eyes, his elbows on his knees and hands clasped as if in prayer.

 _‘Edward Elric,’_ he thought, _‘What in the world are you doing to me?’_

“Something wrong?” Bradley asked. That shook Roy from his spiraling thoughts so soundly that he nearly jolted to sit back up. 

“Oh?” He tried, doing his best to sound calm, ”No, nothing at all.”

“You seemed torn,” He noticed.

Roy tried to keep his expression blank. “Is that so?”

“Hm,” Bradley gruffed, taking a sip of his drink he had brought in. “And before that, you seemed a bit too enchanted for your own good.”

“It was a pretty song.” 

“Of course.”

“Father,” Roy lamented. The last thing he needed on top of his life crisis was more stress from his father’s expectations. He knew for a _fact_ Bradley had his own favorites, and he not-so-subtle pointed them out throughout the whole morning during the presentations. 

“Isn’t she such a successful model? Definitely has a good work ethic, I’d say.” He had said after Lust left the stage; Similar comments proceeded each one he obviously approved of.

“She seems nice,” He had said about Olivier, and _that_ was by far the worst; She still terrified Roy. The last few Selected were now doing their own presentations, and the prince doubted Bradley had anything else to say. It was just a couple of Threes who didn’t impress the king in the slightest with either lineage or public appeal, and Roy would’ve enjoyed the peace had his mind not been thoroughly dismantled a mere minute ago. 

“I think-” Roy almost started before biting his tongue. Bradley shot him a suspicious look for it but otherwise let the apparent slip go; it was even more apparent that Roy was never going to tell anyway. Small mercies.

“Ah,” The king stood up and dusted off his jacket after a long moment. “Well, I believe it’s time to make our appearances now. This way.”

Roy nodded and stood up to follow him, despite his inner panic of the fact that he didn’t even _notice_ when the last few presentations finished, and mentally steeled himself as much as possible before taking his first step through the door. 

The Selected were all standing now and congregated in their own groups, having probably been told that they could leave in a bit, and Roy tried to not make it obvious that he was only looking for one person. 

“Oh my God.” Someone gasped. Like a wave, everyone’s heads turned to see the king and prince of Amestris enter, and immediate haphazard curtsies began around the room like some stumbling symphony.   
“Your highness,” One girl, a Three named Kimberly, pressed, “What were you and his majesty doing in the auditorium closest?”

Is that what Izumi told them that door was? Roy supposed it made sense, but his charming smile was easier to pull off when he was trying to not laugh- so the genuine confusion on most of their faces worked out. 

“That was actually a door to a small viewing room,” Roy gestured to the mirror. “This is two-way glass.” 

“Oh my _God_ !” Someone cried. There were similar sounds of shock, and, just in time, Roy caught the golden eyes he’d been searching for. Edward looked equally astonished, but then the prince had the pleasure to witness when all of the realizations clicked into place, and his face went _red_. All the way up to his ears. The blush was adorable -not that Roy would ever tell him- and it was a real pity that it was almost immediately replaced with anger. He should get a reward for how well he pretended to not see, and ignore, Edward’s indignant glare. 

“How did you like the presentations, your majesty?” Izumi came up to ask, and Roy wanted to fall on his knees and call her a saint. She knew Bradley wouldn’t let the prince answer anyway, and she purposefully addressed only the king to give Roy an escape. Izumi’s eyes flickered to Roy’s for a millisecond, and it was as if she could read his mind.

 _‘Go,’_ She said. 

Roy wasn’t one to pass up miracles. He left his father’s side, trusting he’d stay distracted, and purposefully made his way towards the Selected.

“Prince Mustang!” Lust crooned, unabashedly jumping in front of him with a catty grin. “Did you like my pictures?”

“Oh yes, they were quite charming.” He quickly assured, doing his best not obviously be trying to push past her.

“Your highness, did you enjoy my slideshow?”

“What did you think of my video?”

“My speech was funny, right?”

“Your highness!” 

Selected were ambushing him each step of the way, and Roy put on his best-placating smile. “All of your presentations were absolutely astounding. I’m very impressed with each and every one of you.” He said. 

It was strange because it was like the crowd was parting for him and congregating closer towards him at the same time, and the weird feedback loop felt like the only thing keeping him from being swarmed. Finally -thank God- he reached the head of golden he’d been trying to get to this whole time. Edward was trying to tell Winry something, despite the girl being far more preoccupied watching Roy approach them with growing panic. She was already poking distressingly at his shoulder as the prince came up to the small group. 

“Edward?”

For a split second, Roy was afraid the blond would ignore him, but he finally turned to face him after a dreadful second of making him wait. Edward’s eyes flickered to the people Roy knew were behind him watching behind the pair -for Christ’s sake, the whole room was watching- before meeting the prince’s to give him a bewildered look. Roy could practically imagine him screeching _‘what the hell you singling me out in front of everybody for?’_ in his head, and he didn’t know whether it was because Edward’s eyes were so expressive or because he actually managed to assume the blond’s behavior correctly. Either way- having Edward’s voice in his head was a bit disconcerting. 

“...Yes?” He asked, clearly irked but surprisingly not showing much else.

“You have a lovely voice.” 

That had just- slipped out. Roy had something potentially _very serious_ to hash out with Edward, but his brain evidently would rather him commit social self-slaughter than say what he actually meant. Professional and in-control Prince Mustang must’ve walked out the door already.

“Oh, I-” Edward stuttered, and for the second time in a day, Roy was blessed with seeing his face involuntarily flush. He grimaced for a split second, and it was the only sign that he bit back whatever he was immediately going to respond with- which Roy expected to be either insults or expletives, honestly.

“It’s decent enough to get paid… I guess,” He said instead, looking away and shrugging. The signs that revealed how uncomfortable Edward was getting were more noticeable now, and suddenly Roy wanted to slap himself. He was such an idiot! They couldn’t talk about anything with the entire competition literally holding their breaths and watching, after all. 

Roy hoped his wince looked more concerned than it did stupid. “Oh, right. My apologies, um,” He leaned closer and lowered his voice to be more of a whisper, but realized too late that it was no use with how intently all the Selected took to listening to them. “Would you like to go somewhere more… _private_?”

“What?!” Edward gawked. And, Christ, his blush got even deeper. 

“What?” Roy repeated, confused with the outburst.

And then it dawned on him.

And he realized what he just said.

“Oh, heavens, no! Only to _talk-_ I only meant- ugh,” He barely suppressed face-palming himself, but he could feel his cheeks burning. “About yesterday. With the guard?” He tried, not wanting to outright tell the whole world that Edward was trying to speak to him to avoid any more assumptions. “It is a serious, _professional_ , matter… is it not?”

Understanding bloomed on Edward’s face. “Oh, _that_ . Um, -ahem- yeah. Yes. It’s _serious_. Very important.” He nodded.

Roy let out a breath. “Alright, then. So-” He paused, realizing too late that there the next question was going to sound very suspicious regardless of what he did. He tried anyway. “Where would you prefer to meet? For this, ah- very professional and important discussion?”

Edward gave him a look as if to say _‘are you for fucking real?’_ , before apparently giving up entirely and covering his face in his hands. 

“Ugh, fine.” He groaned, looking just as flustered as before for some reason when he finally looked back up at him. “I need you to-” He paused, looking away and covering his mouth with a hand as if dying in embarrassment. As much as he was secretly enjoying the expressions, Roy could only crease his eyebrows, perplexed. 

“Pardon?”

Edward shot him a scathing look, before letting it go in resignation and looking down. He used one finger to beckon him over. “C’mere,” He groused, still not looking at him.

Roy frowned, utterly confused. “Why?” 

“Come _here_.” 

Roy’s legs knew before his head did that he should just follow without question, so he did. They were now maybe less than half a foot away now. Edward was looking up at him with a scowl, but the still apparent blush made it hard to take the heat of his glare seriously. For another second he worked his jaw as if stealing himself. Roy didn’t understand what he was so flustered about. 

“Lean down.”

Roy blinked. “ _Pardon_?”

Edward looked like he was about to strangle him for a split second. “ _Lean_ _down_ so I can whisper it in your ear, you mother fu-”

“Oh!” Roy suddenly realized, piecing it all together.

“Stupid bastard,” Edward muttered. Roy was positive at least half the room heard him anyway.

He leaned forward as requested. “My apologies,” He mumbled. Edward rolled his eyes, but Roy was thrilled to no end to see have to still go on his tiptoes to reach. 

Suddenly their faces were close, Edward’s cheek slightly brushing Roy’s as he cupped his hand around his mouth to whisper in his ear, and Roy could smell his hair now and feel the heat of his ears and feel his breath on his neck and-

Oh.

This was why he was embarrassed. 

“My dorm,” Edward said, and Mustang was trying to not let his smile show that it had tickled. He also tried to not consider how scandalous that would’ve sounded had Edward said that same thing out loud to his assuming peers, which explained the lengths he took to whisper it instead.

“Oh, alright.” Roy leaned back, sounding quite composed considering everything- thankfully. Edward dropped back down to the balls of his feet and looked ready to book it, so before Roy could even process what he was doing, he was stopping him.

“Wait,”

Edward frowned. “Huh?”

“Could I-- I need to ask…” Roy tried, becoming completely terrified as he realized that he could get the answer he didn’t want. “I just need to know-”

Now Edward was the one looking confused. “What is it?”

Roy beckoned similarly how Edward had done earlier, even copying the I’m-too-embarrassed-to-look-you-in-the-eyes-right-now gaze on _accident_ . Edward, bless his brilliance, understood him right away and they both met each other halfway as Roy leaned in to whisper. The back of his mind was absolutely _preening_ at how Edward briefly winced, clearly extra ticklish from the breath in his ear, but otherwise, he was about to die from how his heart was hammering in his chest. 

“Is this about you wanting to leave?” 

Edward immediately recoiled to give him a look.

“What?” His incredulous expression dissipated instantly as he tried not to laugh, “No! I wouldn’t- where did you ever get such a crazy idea from?” 

Relief flooded Roy’s senses like a flood. Oh thank God, he didn’t want to leave. 

“Oh,” The stupid grin he’s been trying to keep down couldn’t be stopped now, “That’s great to hear.” He beamed honestly. Roy didn’t even care that everyone could pick up the relief and happiness from his tone, couldn’t even care about his father glaring at him across the room, and he felt invincible with such a weight lifted off his chest.

Edward must’ve seen something deeper than all that, because of course he did, and his expression softened. 

“Stupid bastard,” He muttered again, but this time he was smiling back. 

“Mustang!” Bradley intoned, having enough of their goggling apparently. Roy couldn’t even bring himself to look away from Edward as he started to back up and turn around. 

“Alright, I’ll see you-?”

“After class.” Edward supplied, and Roy felt his heart flutter at the fact that the blond was actually grinning at him.

Roy, of course, grinned back. “Yes. After class- right. And that’s-”

“In twenty minutes.” 

“Right. Got it.”

For the first time since entering the room, Roy looked around and to address the other Selected, and he wasn’t even phased with all their varying levels of offended expressions. 

“Pardon my intrusion. My father and I will be leaving now, so please continue your class as normal. It was truly a pleasure to watch all of your presentations, and I look forward to getting to know each of your true selves.” He slightly dipped in respect, because it was the least he could do for practically brushing them all off. “Ms. Curtis,” He nodded in acknowledgment.

“Your highness,” She returned, “Thank you for taking the time to visit our class today.” She curtsied, and on that cue, everyone followed to do the same as the king and prince began to make their exit. Afterward, Roy could hear some of the Selected try to call out to him, the room erupting in conversation over what in the world just happened, but he didn’t care and didn’t look back as he walked through the door. 

Bradley kept shooting him looks, but even that couldn’t garner a sweat, and Roy had to cough to remind himself to stop smiling. Nothing could bring him down right now, because Edward wasn’t leaving him. At least, not yet. 

As they made their way down the halls, Roy silently made a promise to himself, and the swear was made equally an oath and prayer- because now he had _hope_. He was going to do absolutely everything and anything he could to convince Edward to not leave any time soon.

  
He was going to do everything he could to try to convince Edward to stay. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy: *stressing himself to an early death with all the worst-case scenarios*  
> -meanwhile-  
> Ed: *vibing* My fav cereal is cocoa puffs UwU
> 
> Annnddddd now General Mills is gonna sue me xD To be real, I thought long and hard about what cereal would taste the best without milk for our short boi here- but I personally like Rice Krispies the best tbh. What's your favorite cereal? Feel free to leave it in the comments, even if it's foreign to me because that would be interesting as heck. Anyway, if you guys have stuck by this fic despite my crazy long absence- I cannot thank you enough! You are all amazing! I'm so excited that our favorite dumdums are finally together again ^^ Next chapter will be in Ed's perspective again, and things are going to go down, big oof. It's Friday, so they still have the Central Report to do, and Ed still needs to tell Roy what the heck has been happening.  
> To be honest, not sure how long I'll take, but definitely not this much again! I'm sorry to those I've disappointed by this extended hiatus, and even more so for not knowing whether I'll ever be able to keep up on the ball again, but please keep in mind my promise that I will never abandon this. I truly refuse to, and I intend to see this through <3 Again, I appreciate each and every one of you so much. Life is rough, but we all got each other (and fanfic, lol) to get us through it. Love you guys, stay safe! <3


	16. Coats and Hair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hello again, by the way,” Mustang easily beamed, oblivious to the blond’s inner panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm not 1289371289478974 months late! Not even one! Feeling pretty good, not gonna lie lol. 
> 
> Also guys oml y'all really let me say "Relief flooded his senses like a flood" in the last chapter akjsdhaksjdhk I died when I finally noticed it the other day. I'm keeping it because 1) I am too busy to go back and edit chapters atm (but I will someday!!) and 2) it's kinda hella funny to me. Roy was so goddamn relieved about Edward staying that he didn't know what to compare a flood with besides another flood lmaooo. 
> 
> I got so many great comments last chapter too -thank you so much!!!- and a lot of them really made my day. You all should be comedians, I swear xD Glad to know we all speak in meme, lol. Also you guys have NO IDEA how happy it made me to see so many of you share your favorite cereals! It was so random and it's kinda dumb, but it just felt so wholesome to bond that way over the internet ngl <3 And your guy's kindness means a lot, so really, I appreciate you guys so much ;w; 
> 
> Anyway! Here's the newest chap! Lots of Ed/Roy interaction so big yay- but also a lot of unresolved tension so big oof. Hope you guys enjoy!

“Are you guys fucking?” 

Edward choked on the water he was drinking. “ _What_?”

“Oh c’mon, just admit it already.” Winry grinned, completely ignoring the baffled looks of Jayden and Jean beside her. “You and Prince Mustang are totally fucking.”

Edward gave her a long, hard look. Winry's eyes were practically sparkling with mischief, the lack of concern telling Edward that she _had_ to be messing around, but the semi-expectant curious looks of his friends were contradicting. He couldn’t help it when he felt his face heat up again. 

“ _What_?” He repeated eloquently. 

“You broke him, Winry.” Jean helpfully informed.

It was a good thing Edward was already sitting down, Izumi having allotted the time left of class to loiter as she individually went over everyone’s presentation grades, because otherwise he would’ve face planted a long time ago. Thankfully, Riza arrived before Winry could continue her attack.

“I leave for one minute-” She sighed, leaning against the apron of the stage next to Jean. The group was circled at the front row of seats, so whoever she shot a glare at over Edward’s shoulder, he couldn’t see. “Hate to break it to you, but it looks like you got a few people wanting to ask questions.” 

Edward chanced to glance behind him. Everyone was in their own cliches again and most were standing by the doors, but that distance did little to negate the ugly looks that were being shot his way. Some Selected looked so jealous and ready to spout venom at him that he was surprised none of them have tried coming over- and then he realized that they probably had but were cowed by Riza’s look. Thank fuck, she’s a saint. 

“Yeah…” He sighed, “Nosy fucks.”

“ _I_ want to ask questions!” Winry pressed.

“ _Nosy fuck_.”

“Rude!” 

“Guys,” Jayden intervened.

Completely missing the near descend to a catfight between the blondes, Jean poked Riza’s shoulder. “Hey, what grade did Ms.Curtis give you anyway?”

“A perfect one,” She said.

Forgetting about Edward, Winry perked up from her seat to give Riza a high five across the aisle. “Nice!” She congratulated. 

Jean looked like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh or sigh. “Bro, why did I even ask. How do all of you guys do so well with this school work stuff?”

“You could have a perfect grade too- you don’t know yet,” Jayden offered. 

Edward was paying much more attention to trying to get the same note interval with the squeak of his boots scuffing the floor. He nearly didn’t notice the abrupt glare Winry shot him, her attention shifted. For being the person to drag him away from the scene Mustang created, her efforts to ‘save him from the mob’ were contradicting. She might as well _be_ the mob. 

“For real, Ed. What was that all about back there?”

“Definitely not fucking,” Edward said, surprisingly with a straight face. 

“Very funny,” She rolled her eyes, “I wasn’t serious, you nincompoop-”

“Nincompoop?!-”

“You were blushing up to your ears just from him complimenting you. I _doubt_ you guys could be fucking if you’re that easily flustered by him-” Winry droned as if it was matter-of-fact.

“I was _not_ flustered!”

Her serious expression fell and she puffed her cheeks in an attempt to not outright laugh. “Really?”

Judging by the rest of their looks, none of them looked keen on believing Edward either. And no, he was definitely not blushing again.

“Y’all fucking suck.” He huffed.

Jean -for fuck’s sake- started doing that disturbing eyebrow wiggle thing. “Ooo,” He cooed, “Was this about that time in the gym when he picked you up and took you on a date-” 

Riza’s hand shot out like lightning and she smacked him.

“Jean!” She warned, but it was too late. Winry looked completely floored, her jaw agape. 

“He went on a date with Prince Mustang?” Her head whipped from Riza to shoot her incredulous look to Edward. “You went on a date with Prince Mustang?!” She looked between the three of them. “And you both knew?!”

“No, no!” Jean tried to fix, failing miserably. “I-” Riza only had to shoot him a look to make him snap his mouth shut immediately. 

“Yes... it appears that way,” Riza admitted, knowing better than trying to deny it. “And you did say you were going to tell us later about what happened with that,” She hedged, giving Edward a quizzical look. “But we won’t push you-”

“Oh, _hell no_. You better spill.” Winry demanded.

Edward groaned and looked at the ceiling. He knew today was going to be crazy, but he had no idea it would be like _this_. But of course, Prince fucking Mustang had to burst in and flip the whole room on its head before Edward could even realize the consequences. 

“Fine...” He gave in. It was true that he promised Jean and Riza, at the very least he owed it to them for keeping his secret safe, and he figured he trusted Winry and Jayden just as much anyways. 

“But understand this first,” He pointed a finger, “It was _not_ romantic in any possible way, and-”

“It was a date!” Winry expressed.

“Let me finish-”

“How could it not have been romantic if the Prince literally asked to go out on a date? That’s just stupid thinking on your end, Ed.”

“I _wasn’t_ a date, goddammit!” He fumed, losing his temper. It was loud enough for the room to audibly grow silent for a moment, and with a curse, he realized that everyone had just heard that. He refused to look behind himself to check and gave a long-suffering sigh once the volume picked up again.

“Look,” He started, calmer and quieter, “I asked him not to, and he agreed- so it wasn’t a date, okay?”

Winry was looking equally ashamed of her own previous behavior, but genuine concern knitted her eyebrows. “Why would you ask that?”

Jean seemed equally confused, and even Riza’s poker face had more of a downward tug on her lips. 

“You _don’t_ want to go on dates with the prince?” Jayden asked when Edward didn’t reply right away. 

“It’s-” He paused, trying to find a way to explain to his only friends in this cursed competition that he was an incompetent idiot who was too much of a coward to let his walls down like that. “It’s complicated,” He settled. “I just- I just think that friendship should be the first step… I guess.” He lied. 

“Edward...” Winry deadpanned. The back of his mind vaguely registered that this was the first time she used his whole name, but the rest of his head was in too much internal panic to care. It was still dawning on him that Mustang had actually _seen_ his project-performance, and no matter how many times he tried to move past it, the idea kept flinging itself to the center of his mind and making him embarrassed all over again. 

And that was fucking stupid.

When he had gotten off the stage, he knew did pretty well because even the Twos were looking at him with consideration rather than with the condescending glares -Jayden had even broken into tears, sobbing about how pretty it sounded- so why did he suddenly feel so self-conscious about the performance? He’d gotten positive reception before at plenty of gigs, and he knew he wasn’t _terrible_ , so what was with this sudden urge to hide? 

Edward _refused_ to believe that it had anything to do with actually caring about what the prince thought of him- no fucking way. 

“Nothing happened, okay?” He swore, ignoring Winry’s raised eyebrow.

“Well, when he invited me out, nothing exactly happened either,” She pointed out. “We just talked and walked in the garden- doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a date.”

“Well walking among flowers seems pretty unnecessarily romantic to me,” Edward shot back, shifting in his seat to slump down. For some reason, his response had Riza and Jean sharing a look. 

“Oh, please, Ed.” Winry huffed. Edward had noticed pretty early on that the girl matched him in sheer stubbornness, and usually, Jayden would break their spats up or stop the other before pushing too many buttons, but now it was clear that Winry intended to get an explanation- and Jayden wasn’t going to stop her this time. “Does it need to be out of some romance film for you to consider it a date? How obviously romantic do you want it to be? A candle-lit dinner? A walk on the beach? A magical boat ride with flower petals floating down from the sky?”

Edward winced at that last one, but Winry didn’t notice and kept going. Her sarcastic tone turned into something more concerned as she stood from her seat to properly face him. Her hands were on her hips, and with a pang the posture reminded Edward of Trisha.

“What aren’t you telling us, Ed?” 

_That I think he tried to kiss me and I don’t know what to do. That his attention makes me embarrassed and I don’t know why. That I’ve never had time for romance in my life so I don’t know how it's even supposed to feel._

“That I have no fucking clue what I’m doing here?” Ed tried, scoffing humorlessly. 

“We all knew that already.” Jean jested, and this time the chuckle Edward dragged out was genuine. 

“Oh, wow. Thanks.”

“But for real,” Winry butted in, sitting back down to gently tug his ponytail. “You could tell us about it next time, you know. We might all be technically competition, but Izumi was right about the whole ‘lifetime friendship’ thing. And to be honest, I’d feel a lot better knowing rather than keeping secrets from each other.”

The others were nodding, sharing the sentiment, and Edward pretended to not notice the overwhelming appreciation and gratitude squeezing his heart.

“Not that you could keep a secret to save your life.” He grinned, pointedly brushing his ponytail over his shoulder to where she couldn’t reach for it again. 

“I could too!” Winry gasped, affronted.

“Could not!”

“Could too-!”

“ _Guys_ ,” Jayden intoned, exasperated.

Jean snickered, and Riza looked up at the ceiling. “I’m surrounded by children.” She sighed.

Edward couldn’t help but break into a grin, trying to not laugh at Jean’s affronted expression. There were a lot of fucked up things about this Selection, but the people he had surrounding him right now was definitely not one of them. 

“I mean,” Edward said, pointedly tilting his head toward Winry, “Hawkeye’s not wrong.”

  
Winry promptly whacked him. 

* * *

Having a whirlwind of a morning, Edward was ready to take a quick power nap the moment he got to his dorm room. Izumi had let them out ten minutes earlier than expected, so he had some time before he had to worry about the prince. 

He walked in with an unrestrained cat-like yawn and began unbuttoning the vest Mei had made him wear for the presentations, knowing she would understand if he made a bigger show of being tired. Dress shirts on the other hand were actually comfortable enough for Edward to tolerate sleeping in -or maybe that was from all the nonstop gigs forcing him to get used to it- so he was already feeling a million times better after feeling the tight overgarment loosen. 

“Ed-” Mei greeted in a surprised tone, as if not expecting him back so soon. Edward didn’t even bother to look at the maid as he proceeded to shrug off the cursed vest and unceremoniously fling it on the bed.

“Mei, you wouldn’t fucking believe what happened this morning.” He sat on the edge of the mattress to kick off his dress shoes, before flopping down onto his back with a satisfying _fwump_. 

“Ed,” She started again, and this time something more urgent laced the words. Edward figured that she must’ve still gotten upset about him immediately dumping the vest, so he wasn’t too concerned and took his time to stretch out his back from sitting all morning. Raising one foot from the floor to plant it on the mattress for balance, he stretched with an arm straight above his head hard enough to get his spine to curve off the mattress. 

“ _Edward_ ,”

“Mm,” He groaned, “What?” 

He wasn’t afraid to shoot her glare mid-stretch, but when he turned his head his breath caught and he froze like a deer in headlights.

“Prince Mustang is already here,” Mei deadpanned, gesturing to the man standing next to her by the desk.

“Oh, shi-” Edward barely bit back the explicit as he jolted to prop himself up with his arms, caught between resisting the urge to wince or grimace. He ended up doing a little both of both anyway. 

“I didn’t realize- Crap. Sorry, let me just-”

This was fucking great. Fucking fantastic.

Mei didn’t even bother to hide her facepalm, and Roy’s expression was unreadable for a second before breaking into one of those bashful-amused looks- like he didn’t know whether to apologize for seeing the vulnerability or laugh for startling the blond. 

“No worries, it’s quite alright,” The prince quickly assured, getting Edward to pause in his frantic scurry to stand and start putting his shoes back on. “Though, I must admit- I’m glad to see that you seem quite comfortable with your maids.”

Claudia and Jasmine, who had been sitting in the corner lounge-area of the room and apparently just watching the scene play out, began to outright giggle. Before Edward could shoot them looks, the pair scampered out of the room with polite curtsies in front of Roy, and Mei was already gathering his discarded vest without prompt. 

He resisted the urge to awkwardly shift his weight. 

“I… I didn’t think you’d be here already,” Edward admitted, not missing the way Mei was already making to leave them both alone. She curtsied to the prince and paused at the doorway, giving Edward a look that was a cross between a mischievous smile and challenging glare.

“Don’t do anything stupid.” She said, a tease and a warning all the same; she knew _why_ Edward had wanted to speak to the prince in private, after all. The door was closed before Edward could even reply.

He didn’t know which was worse- being reminded of the heavy topic or being reminded that getting the prince alone in his room came with certain, er, assumptions. Not to mention the fact that he had already been caught in a compromising position. 

“Hello again, by the way,” Mustang easily beamed, oblivious to the blond’s inner panic. Edward honestly couldn’t fathom what had the man in such a good mood, but it turned out to be infectious because he couldn’t help but grin back- albeit a bit sheepishly.

“Hey.”

“I figured that I would get here early so that I wouldn’t be seen by the other Selected. Apologies for not letting you know sooner.” Some of Roy’s own embarrassment leaked into those words, and Edward could only imagine how indecent that bed-stretch looked from the prince’s perspective.

Shit fuck. 

A bit out of breath from the surprise, Edward huffed while trying to briskly comb back the strands of hair he’d just rumpled with the mattress. “No, you’re alright. That was my bad,” He spared a cautious glance at the prince, “But you do realize that everyone thinks something scandalous is going on between us now, right? Hiding the fact that you came to my dorm isn’t going to do much.”

Back when the prince had talked to him after the presentations, Edward could _feel_ the heat of Lust’s glare from across the room. Every Selected in his peripheral was either shocked beyond belief or looked angry enough to explode, and the blond took the chances to walk quickly to his dorm before Russell could tackle him. So far, he was hoping they could forget about it by lunch. And so far, that was a pretty fucking stupid idea. 

Roy made a face. “Would they all really come to that extreme conclusion just from this morning?”

“Pretty fucking sure,” Edward waved a hand dismissively, “I mean- _I_ don’t care what they think, but we were stressing the words ‘serious’ and ‘professional’ so much that I’m pretty sure that they all thought it was code or intense sarcasm.”

Roy seemed to barely to restrain an abrupt bark of laughter, curbing it into a more dignified chuckle instead. “Oh dear,” He said. “I suppose that it couldn’t be helped, though- unless we were to actually come up with a code.” 

Edward had settled and was leaning on the tall post at the end of the bed, feeling a lot more comfortable now that he was able to cross his arms. That growing ease vanished in an instant at those words, though.

“...An actual code for _what_?” He asked skeptically.

Roy froze for a moment. “God, Edward- nothing like that,” He winced, “I only meant for if we’d need to meet up in private without making the rest of the Selected… ‘think something scandalous is going on between us,’ as you said.”

Edward studied him for a moment, kind of expecting an ulterior motive. “That’s… actually not a horrible idea.” He realized. His lips twitched up when Roy made an indignant noise.

“Are my ideas usually horrible?” 

“You tell me,” Edward grinned, “Okay. What’d you have in mind?”

Roy took a second to actually contemplate, gloved fingers elegantly brushing under his chin. Edward had to mentally keep his eyes from following the movement. 

“For one it should be something rather inconspicuous, so not any word or phrase, but rather it should be a movement- like a hand sign.”

“Okay…” Edward followed, “And that would also let us tell each other from across the room if we needed to.”

“Yes, exactly! The hand sign could be something like…” The prince paused, flexing his fingers in front of himself but not finding anything that stood out enough.

“What if it made a sound?” Edward offered, bringing his own arms up to experiment. He did the first thing that felt instinctual with both his hands up, and his palms came together. “Like a clap, or something?” 

Roy started to laugh, shaking his head. “To clap in front of yourself out of nowhere would look rather silly.”

“Hey!” Edward whined, but he was trying to keep himself from laughing too. “Alright then wise-guy, what would _you_ do then?”

“Well if you still wanted something that made a sound to stand out… it could be a snap?” Roy snapped in front of himself to demonstrate, but the serious look of consideration he had while doing it almost had Edward doubling over.

“You look like a fucking magician! How is that less stupid looking than what I did??” 

“A magician?” He gaped as if affronted, but he was already starting to laugh too.

“Okay, okay- forget about the sound thing. We’ll just have to make sure we have each other’s attention before we do it. What about something like scratching the side of our nose?”

Roy looked like he was having way too much goddamn fun with this; then again, so was Edward. “Too obvious and possibly unattractive if we were in conversation with someone.” He pointed out.

“ _Of course_ you’d care about looking attractive while doing it,” Edward scoffed, “Fine. Then what about tugging our bangs?”

“Mine aren’t long enough.”

The blond rolled his eyes, but his show of exasperation was probably curbed by the fact that he couldn’t hide his smile. “Ugh, you high-maintenance bastard. Okay then, how about tugging your ear?”

“For the record, I am deeply offended by that, but…” He paused, trying the gesture out. Tugging the ear was subtle enough to draw any attention, and it was still strange enough to never be mistaken as a subconscious body language like coughing in a fist would be. “I think it could work.”

“Good enough for your princeliness?” Edward jeered.

“I despise that.”

Edward laughed, shifting to make for the closet. “Speaking of your princeliness,” He dutifully ignored the pained sound Roy made at that, “I have to give you back your coat. It has all these decorated medals of service and shit so I feel like a crook for even having it in my room.”

Edward opened the doors to the mini-walk-in closet and was only a little caught off guard to feel Roy’s presence following right behind him, the prince peering over his shoulder.

“Mei put it back here somewhere…” He muttered, already digging through the coat rack. Edward was so engrossed that he completely missed Roy getting distracted by the pile in the opposite corner. 

“What’s all this? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” 

Edward glanced over his shoulder to see what the prince was talking about, and had to resist the urge to cringe. “Oh… Those are the letters I got. Apparently it’s a Selected rule that I can’t burn them to dust, so Mei piled them there.”

“Burn them?” Roy questioned, not-so-subtly scrutinizing some of the lettering and addresses he could see on the front. 

Maybe it was because Roy seemed harmless crouched over a stack of letters, maybe it was because Edward had an excuse to face the opposite way as he looked for the coat, maybe it was because talking to the prince simply felt easier than it should’ve- but Edward decided to be honest. 

“They’re all marriage proposals,” He confessed quietly. He _heard_ the rustle of Roy leafing through letters stop, and the blond was grateful to not have to look the prince in the eye.

“I only read a few…” Edward continued, fingers grazing over the tens of provided coats he’d never wear, “And it was basically a lot of perverts thinking that a Five wouldn’t want to just go fucking _home_ after the Selection so…” He shrugged, even though he wasn’t sure if Roy was watching him. “Anyway- Out of sight, out of mind, right?” He tried to laugh, but the breath came out dry. 

“Edward, I’m so-”

“It’s fine, Mustang,” Edward swore, glancing back to give the prince a reassuring smile. Sure, the letters kind of fucked him up at first, but it was a lot easier to distance himself from it all once it sunk in that he was safe and far away from all those people. “Besides,” He sighed, “I’m sure the more popular Selected got way more so-”

“That’s exactly it, Edward. I can assure you that they didn’t.”

That got the blond’s train of thought to come to a screeching halt, and he forgot about the coats as he turned around to give the prince a perplexed look.

“What?”

“This isn’t normal. I don’t know what you’ve grown up with to think that it was, but upper castes _always_ propose by asking the parents of who they want to marry first. The parents alone are the ones supposed to deal with the suitors, because otherwise their child could be hounded about it to the point of harassment. Going through the challenge to win the parents over first is what deters the creeps and such. Also, it’s a tradition that any decent upper caste would follow. It’s a sign of _respect_.”

Edward didn’t know what to say to all that for a moment. Roy was showing actual concern over the letters, and for some reason that was something that the blond hadn’t been expecting. Also, -what the fuck- the thought that they were all deliberately treating him with disrespect was pretty damn infuriating. Edward swallowed the anger down, not wanting to get too deep into the line of thought that came with all the implications again. 

“Okay… So they thought I was naive enough to not know about this upper caste tradition of theirs- and they were right. So what?” He turned around before he could see Roy’s reaction to that and pointedly started sliding hangers down the rack. 

“You don’t have to hide it if that makes you upset,” The prince said after a moment. 

From tone alone, Edward could tell that the man was way too concerned for his own good. The tinge of pity in it was almost enough to make him get upset about it even, but the blond surprisingly found himself only able to sigh. It was utterly resigned.

“I mean I _am_ , but- at the same time… I guess I just don’t expect different anymore.”

“Edward… I-”

“Hey, look!” He abruptly cut in. “I found your coat!” 

Edward knew he was changing the subject, he knew he was technically -as his brother puts it- ‘running away’ again, but he didn’t care. Besides, finding the coat at that exact moment hadn’t been a lie. 

He swung around to show it to Roy, but sucked in a breath as he found the prince standing over him much closer than he was expecting- _much_ too close. The prince’s eyes were darker -or maybe that was just the effect of being in a closet- but the intensity of his gaze had Edward holding back a shiver. 

Fuck this, he was _not_ doing this again. 

“Here.” Edward hastily handed it to him, sidestepping out of the dangerously small confines before anything like the other day could happen again. The coat itself was an awkward reminder of the events that had transpired; Edward had literally ran away with it on accident, after all. And he had ran away after-

“Thank you…” Roy smiled, but now his expression was far too soft. There was something like trepidation in his searching gaze- like he was thinking the exact same thing Edward was.

Shit. Was he supposed to say something about it? Or could they ignore it forever?

“Hey,” Edward cleared his throat, “I… I’m sorry about running off with it.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Roy immediately reassured, closing the doors of the closet behind himself. “In fact, I’m the one who…” He paused, and for a mesmerizing moment, the prince actually looked unsure of himself. Edward was so used to seeing the man in perfect control of his expressions and in smug confidence, that it was almost unnerving.

“Listen...” Edward interrupted. He couldn’t help but anxiously drag his fingers through his hair, “We don’t need to…” He trailed off, something on the desk catching his attention. Now that he thought about it, Roy and Mei looked like they had just been talking over it when he had first noticed them earlier, but his mind had completely glossed over it at the time. “What’s this?” He asked, genuinely distracted by the paper. 

What meant to be a quick glance turned into Edward becoming utterly engrossed within seconds, his eyes instantly catching onto the jots of numbers and margin notes. They were blueprints of the entire castle. Edward recognized the south wing easily enough, but the rest of the detailed rooms and halls were completely foreign, and the lines were thin and faded as if not the main focus. Instead, there were shaded passages cutting through the floors that didn’t follow any hallway and twisted and turned in the middle of rooms.

“Oh,” He realized, “Are these?”

For a second Roy was looking at him like he didn’t know whether to let the subject change, and he ended up making an amused sound of disbelief. Edward was well aware that his ability to completely stop mid-sentence and get lost in thought with something else had a tendency to irk some people, but Roy easily went along with it. 

“The secret passages.” Roy nodded, stepping closer. He pointed out the corner of the page. “Here’s the legend. So these red bars here are the doors, and the dotted and solid lines show whether they’re between floors or between the walls.” Edward watched the prince’s finger skim along the surface, transfixed, and he had to remind himself to read what he was actually gesturing to. “It was the only one I could find in our archive, but it’s dated over forty years ago, so I was checking with Mei that this was still accurate before you came in.”

“Oh, wow…” Edward was honestly impressed with the enormous layout. The design was well-thought-out enough to fool someone into thinking that the castle was built around it instead of the other way around. But something was nagging in the back of his mind.

Edward turned to properly look Roy in the face, skeptical.

“But why…” 

Edward didn’t even have to finish the question, Roy already turning the page over to reveal an entirely new diagram. 

“It’s the secret door mechanics. I haven’t had time to look over them myself yet, but-” 

The realization seeped into Edward like a sunrise, a growing warmth washing over him. Roy took the time to find obscure blueprints in an archive _just_ to get him the information on how the doors worked. He actually remembered and -hell- even cared about Edward asking about them. They were just a few sheets of unrolled paper, but Roy had gone out of his way to get them for him, and that-

Edward felt his heartbeat flutter. It was something so simple yet unexpectedly sweet, and he didn’t know whether the amount of warmth blossoming in his chest was more pathetic or heartwarming. 

“But,” Roy continued, “I figured that we could look at it and figure it out… together… and, um-” His words died in his throat, and Edward was pretty sure it was because he had looked up from the papers to stare at the prince. The blond wasn’t sure what kind of face he was making, the different emotions he felt flickering through him feeling just as unfamiliar, but whatever it was had Roy creasing his brows in concern again. 

“Edward, are you alright?”

The blonde blinked. What the fuck was he doing?

“Uh, yeah. Yeah.” He looked away, clearing his throat. “I guess that I didn’t think that you’d ever...”

_Care, remember, give an actual shit_ \- Edward could go on.

The blond swallowed. “I mean,” He amended, “This is… really nice actually- and honestly fucking cool.” Edward could feel Roy’s eyes on him, and he vaguely wondered what he saw there. “Thanks.” 

He cautiously spared a glance back up, and Roy was looking back at him with the softest smile fucking possible. After the prince didn’t say anything right away, Edward let out a breath on the cusp of an embarrassed laugh, unable to help but smile in return. “What?”

Roy gently shook his head. "It's... It's nothing. I’m glad you like it so much. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share castle documents with Selected though, so just keep the papers a secret.”

Edward picked up the papers with disbelief. The edges immediately curled at the motion, but that just made it all the more easier to clutch them to his chest.

“I can really keep these?”

“Of course,” Roy beamed. “Page two has all the passages from the older floors, so those are safe to explore without being caught.”

Edward grinned. “Is doing that illegal?”

“There you go again, sounding far too excited about the prospect.” Roy scoffed, “No, not if you play it off as getting lost I’m sure. Leaving the castle, however,” He winced, “Is _definitely_ illegal.” 

“Then I’ll do that.”

“Edward-!”

“I’m kidding,” The blond fondly rolled his eyes, “I’m not going to leave, Mustang.”

For some reason, those words had a far deeper meaning to the prince than Edward meant them to, Roy's expression looking far too relieved. It reminded him of his question back in the auditorium, and for the umpteenth time that morning, the blond wondered why Roy was so afraid of him leaving anyway. Was he really that important?

Edward mentally shrugged off the idea, because that was ridiculous. The prince probably just didn’t like the thought of not having the choice to keep everyone here or not under his control, no matter how much he would pretend otherwise. Or something like that. 

“Anyway,” Edward put the rolled papers carefully in a drawer of his desk, unable to go over them right now no matter how much he wanted to. He kept getting sidetracked, goddammit. “I came to find you yesterday because something serious happened. Well, now _two_ things, since then, actually.”

Roy’s smile fell instantly and his gaze went all serious again. “Are you alright?”

“ _I’m_ fine.” Edward promised, “It’s something else.” He gestured to the balcony. “Do you wanna talk outside?”

Roy nodded and easily followed him out, and Edward took a reprieve from the gust of wind. It was much brighter, but the cool sting of approaching autumn felt nice on his skin and he’d secretly been wanting to go somewhere that felt more open since the presentations. It wasn’t as good as actually being outside and walking in the gardens, but the sun and air already had the blond feeling much better from his subconsciously rising stress. 

Now for the hard part.

Edward took a moment to collect himself and leaned over the balcony railing, social exhaustion pulling down on him physically. Damn- a catnap would’ve been nice. 

Roy copied his posture and looked out onto the gardens with a similar look weighing him down. A breeze blew by and neither of them spoke- as if they both silently agreed to forget about everything else for a moment and appreciate the morning sky instead. It was strangely comfortable, not awkward or forced, and a part of Edward vaguely wondered why the clouds looked prettier today. 

“This is my favorite time of year,” Roy said, voice soft enough to not break the peace, “because those bushes over there will bloom.” 

Edward followed his gaze, finding the patch of plants he was talking about. They were green like the rest of the trees there -the cherry blossoms that the blond had seen on his first night long lost their pink blooms- but even from here he could see specks of white. 

“White flowers?”

Roy nodded. “They’re everblooming gardenia blossoms. The flowers represent durability for life changes, and that’s what makes them so special. They don’t bloom the brightest in the spring like everything else- they bloom the most in Fall, and they keep their leaves in winter”

“That’s one badass plant.” 

Roy chuckled, turning to look at him now. “Indeed it is. They also more commonly represent purity, rebirth, or love- but I like the other definition better.”

“It’s less cliche,” Edward agreed. 

“Do you have a favorite?”

It took Edward a moment to realize what Roy meant, his lips silently parting. “Oh, jeez… I dunno, I’ve actually never thought about it. My mom really likes chrysanthemums, but my brother is obsessed with roses like some basic sap.”

“I’ll have you know that he’s not the only ‘basic sap’ around.” Roy grinned.

“Oh, jeez,” Edward repeated, making the prince laugh. “I will _jump_ off this balcony if it comes to it.”

“Do you always have a tendency to jump out of things?” Roy jested, raising an eyebrow. He was clearly referring to the boat situation; What a bastard.

“So far only when you’re involved.” Edward grinned back. He had to keep one hand behind his ear to keep the occasional wind from brushing his hair in front of his face, but Roy wasn’t even looking at him anymore. The prince’s eyes seemed transfixed on something behind the blond’s shoulder, and Edward was about to turn around to check before Roy opened his mouth.

“Did you… do something to your hair?”

“Huh?” 

“It’s…” Roy paused for a moment, as if suddenly becoming aware that he had said something in the first place- as if the question had just slipped out. Instead of brushing it off and dropping it, though, he pushed on. “It’s... shinier.” He settled.

“Oh,” Edward realized. “It’s some spa treatment… I dunno,” He shrugged, looking away. He honestly still couldn’t see any difference himself since he had first left the spa, but he had definitely _felt_ one- brushing his hair up every morning became way easier, thank fuck. He must’ve been blind or something, though, because others had complimented it afterward and now even Roy noticed. It was probably just the sun then- or the close proximity.

Fuck, there was close proximity again.

Edward hadn’t even noticed when they had gravitated towards being right next to each other on the wide balcony, but the reoccurring position had the blond reminded of that almost-kiss all over again. Roy seemed to be following his exact train of thought, because he suddenly looked dismayed and he took a step back.

“Edward,” He started, “I need to apologize for the other day… I...”

Edward could feel himself bristle. So they were actually going to talk about this then.

Shit fuck shit. 

“I,” Roy hesitated, finding the words. Once he had, they came out slow and measured, as if Edward was a stray cat he didn't want to scare away. “I put you in an uncomfortable position, and for that, I’m sorry. I never meant to push myself into your personal space or to let what happened… well, _happen_ . And...” He trailed off, not knowing what else to say, and Edward watched in awe as the prince of fucking Amestris looked _embarrassed_. Because of him. 

“What was it exactly that happened, Mustang?” Edward asked without thinking. 

A part of Edward was mentally throwing himself off the balcony at that, because he was fucking crazy. He wasn’t sure what he was doing- he wasn’t sure what answer he was looking for. He should’ve just said ‘it’s fine’ and be done with it, but another part of himself was dying to know whether it was all just in his head.

Roy grimaced. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sorry, I just- I don’t...” Edward sighed, turning away to look out onto the courtyard again. “Could you be honest with me?”

Roy took a long breath before he replied. 

“Of course.”

Edward idly clenched and unclenched his fingers around his palm, his mind going a million miles a minute as he wavered between continuing through with this or not. It was stupid, he could let this go right now if he wanted to, but there he was clinging onto the small shred of hope. Problem was, Edward wasn’t sure _which_ answer he was even hoping for. Hell, even his heart had started to flutter faster than normal, and -holy shit- he could be making a huge mistake right now. But he just _needed_ to know. 

Steeling himself, Edward braced for impact and looked Roy in the eye.

Fuck it.

“Were you going to kiss me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roy: *Is handsome, smart, charming, hawt, kind, dork*  
> Roy: *exists*  
> Ed:  
> Roy: Yo I got you some papers with * e n g i n e e r i n g * stuff  
> Ed: OML it's the man of my dreams 
> 
> Also haha cliff hanger ending go brrrrrrrrrrr  
> And oh my gosh Ed you can't just ASK people if they were going to kiss you smh the AUDACITY  
> Anyways xD guys I'm sorry I have a problem, they really need to talk about Lydia but I kept implementing distractions and one thing led to another and now we're here- 10 pages in and they haven't gotten to the point bruh- Also a scene that was cut included Jean rejoicing over getting a 'B', Winry laughing maniacally, and Jayden saying 'oh shit'. I'm sorry I couldn't keep it in! It honestly wasn't vibing with me, but rest assured Ed and his friends will have plenty more Dum MomentsTM!
> 
> I hope you guys are doing alright in these trying times! This pandemic has lasted ages, so take the time to give yourself a well-deserved break and reach out to a friend <3 Thank you for reading this chap! Stay safe and lots of love!


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